November 15, 2024

This Exoplanet Has Been Hiding a Big Secret: A 350,000-Mile-Long Tail

Astrophysicists studying the exoplanet WASP-69b have actually discovered it has a comet-like tail, seven times longer than the world itself. This massive gas giant, similar in size to Jupiter and situated about 160 light-years from Earth, is in such close distance to its extremely hot star that its environment is continually vaporizing at a rate of 200,000 heaps per second.In new research study published in The Astrophysical Journal, a group led by UCLA astrophysicists found that as the worlds atmosphere leaves into area, its host stars outstanding winds shape it into a comet-like tail that routes the planet for at least 350,000 miles– far longer than observed before.”Characteristics and Orbit of WASP-69bDiscovered a years back, WASP-69b is understood as a “hot Jupiter” — a gas giant world that orbits precariously close to its star. The exoplanet is so close that it completes a full orbit in less than four Earth days; by contrast, Mercury, the closest planet to our sun, has an 88-day orbit.The discovery that WASP-69bs star is not just stripping away the planets atmosphere with high-energy radiation but likewise physically shepherding that left gas into a long, thin tail assists to reveal how excellent winds affect planets that orbit their stars so closely.

This huge gas giant, similar in size to Jupiter and located about 160 light-years from Earth, is in such close distance to its intensely hot star that its atmosphere is constantly evaporating at a rate of 200,000 lots per second.In new research study published in The Astrophysical Journal, a group led by UCLA astrophysicists found that as the planets atmosphere gets away into space, its host stars stellar winds sculpt it into a comet-like tail that routes the planet for at least 350,000 miles– far longer than observed before.”Characteristics and Orbit of WASP-69bDiscovered a decade back, WASP-69b is known as a “hot Jupiter” — a gas giant world that orbits precariously close to its star. The exoplanet is so close that it completes a complete orbit in less than 4 Earth days; by contrast, Mercury, the closest planet to our sun, has an 88-day orbit.The discovery that WASP-69bs star is not just stripping away the planets environment with high-energy radiation however likewise physically shepherding that left gas into a long, thin tail assists to expose how outstanding winds affect planets that orbit their stars so closely.