The planet's surface temperature is estimated from measurements taken as it passes behind the star to be . This temperature is significantly higher than would be expected if the planet were only heated by radiation from its star, which was prior to this measurement, estimated at 520 K. Whatever energy tidal effects deliver to the planet, it does not affect its temperature significantly. A
greenhouse effect would result in a much greater temperature than the predicted 520–620 K. which would remain solid despite the high temperatures, because of the planet's gravity. The planet could have formed further from its current position, as a gas giant, and migrated inwards with the other gas giants. As it approached its present position, radiation from the star would have blown off the planet's hydrogen layer via
coronal mass ejection. However, when the radius became better known, ice alone was not enough to account for the observed size. An outer layer of
hydrogen and
helium, accounting for up to ten percent of the mass, was needed on top of the ice to account for the observed planetary radius. This obviates the need for an ice core. Alternatively, the planet may consist of a dense rocky core surrounded by a lesser amount of hydrogen. Observations of the planet's
brightness temperature with the
Spitzer Space Telescope suggest a possible thermochemical disequilibrium in the atmosphere of this exoplanet. Results published in Nature suggest that Awohali’s dayside atmosphere is abundant in CO and deficient in methane (CH4) by a factor of ~7,000. This result is unexpected because, based on current models at its temperature, atmospheric carbon should prefer CH4 over CO. In part for this reason, it has also been hypothesized to be a possible
helium planet. In June 2015, scientists reported that the atmosphere of Awohali was evaporating, resulting in a giant cloud around the planet and, due to radiation from the host star, a long trailing tail long. ==Orbital characteristics==