Hot Jupiter Exoplanet Suddenly Stops Crossing Its Star

TOI-2535b is a hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet that researchers have observed transiting between Earth and its host star, TOI-2535, for about seven years. Recently, however, the planet stopped showing up in observations. Analysts noted that its transit duration had grown progressively shorter before disappearing entirely, suggesting the planet's orbit shifted to pass near the star's pole rather than its equator. Scientists suspect this unusual shift is caused by gravitational interactions with an unseen second planet orbiting in a different plane. Researchers note this represents the fastest rate of inclination change ever observed for an exoplanet orbiting a single star, pointing to either an extremely massive or highly eccentric hidden companion.