A Baby Planet Is Sadly ‘Being Destroyed’ By Its Star
- 8 years ago
One of the youngest suspected planets in our galaxy could be in the process of being slowly destroyed by its star, according to new research.
One of the youngest suspected planets in our galaxy could be in the process of being slowly destroyed by its star, according to new research.
The study, led by Rice University researchers, focuses on a star system which is estimated to be around 2 million years old--a fraction of the 4.5 billion years in age Earth is believed to be, notes Gizmodo.
While the team has not yet officially proven that the mass is an official planet, according to a news release issued by the university, they believe it is a “‘hot Jupiter’ whose outer layers are being torn away by the star it orbits every 11 hours.”
A NASA article from March explains that this classification consists of “gas giants like Jupiter but much hotter, with orbits that take them feverishly close to their stars.”
As such, the longevity of this young system, which is around 1,100 light years from Earth, is questionable.
One of the principal authors, Christopher Johns-Krull, admits, “What we don't know is how quickly this young planet is going to lose its mass and whether it will lose too much to survive.”
One of the youngest suspected planets in our galaxy could be in the process of being slowly destroyed by its star, according to new research.
The study, led by Rice University researchers, focuses on a star system which is estimated to be around 2 million years old--a fraction of the 4.5 billion years in age Earth is believed to be, notes Gizmodo.
While the team has not yet officially proven that the mass is an official planet, according to a news release issued by the university, they believe it is a “‘hot Jupiter’ whose outer layers are being torn away by the star it orbits every 11 hours.”
A NASA article from March explains that this classification consists of “gas giants like Jupiter but much hotter, with orbits that take them feverishly close to their stars.”
As such, the longevity of this young system, which is around 1,100 light years from Earth, is questionable.
One of the principal authors, Christopher Johns-Krull, admits, “What we don't know is how quickly this young planet is going to lose its mass and whether it will lose too much to survive.”