[Helotes]

This sounds dumb I know but what does this mean?

“is extraordinary in the sense that it circles a Sun-like star 40 times closer than planet Mercury”

Does that mean it orbits at 1/40th of the distance?

I understand 40 times further (d X 40)away but what does “40 times closer” mean?

[Teacher317]

I generally take it to mean one-fortieth the distance of the sun to Mercury ( d / 40 ), but really, it could be anything given journalistic standards these days.

[shibumi]

"I understand 40 times further (d X 40)away but what does “40 times closer” mean?"

It's like this. There's the distance from Mercury to the Sun, right?

So this planet is that distant, but forty times that, toward its star. So it's actually 38 times further away, but on the other side.

[Moltke]

Add to that, “Sun-like star”.

WTH else is a star? Or the sun.

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, that bugs me too. :’)