It detects planets using the transit method, or measuring the dips in stellar brightness when a planet passes in front of a star.

When astronomers observed WASP-103b pass in front of its star, they were able to see the planet's odd, football-like shape.

A study detailing the findings published Tuesday in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

"After observing several such so-called 'transits,' we were able to measure the deformation.

But, we had not yet been able to verify this," said study coauthor Yann Alibert, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Bern, in a statement.

The deformation of the planet also allowed researchers to learn more about its composition, which is gaseous like Jupiter.

Typically, a massive planet like this closely orbiting its host star would gradually get closer to the star over time and become engulfed by it.

Previously, the Hubble Space Telescope revealed that the extreme heat and intense gravity of its star is warping another planet, called WASP-121b, into the shape of a football.

"This would improve our understanding of these so-called 'hot Jupiters' and allow a better comparison between them and giant planets in the Solar System," said study coauthor Monika Lendl, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Geneva, in a statement.