What the hell is the Neptunian Desert? All I can find on google is articles about this, none of which actually explain what it is. Is it an actual location in space or just a space in the distribution of planets?
The Neptunian Desert is the region close to stars where no Neptune-sized planets are found. This area receives strong irradiation from the star, meaning the planets do not retain their gaseous atmosphere as they evaporate leaving just a rocky core. However NGTS-4b still has its atmosphere of gas.
Not sure why GP's downvoted, the definition sucks. What's "close to stars"? 1AU? Here to Pluto? Here to the Oort cloud? 1LY? In the orbital plane? Localized to an arc or surround
ing the Sun?
Then the link to desert goes to nothing but Earth deserts and the wikipedia article was literally made today. It's like the author has no clue what the Neptunian Desert is.
