Astronomers have made an unprecedented discovery in deep space: A gas giant planet is behaving like a comet with a tail due to the powerful radiation of its star. The interesting planet, called WASP-69b, loses its atmosphere due to its proximity to its star and forms a tail that spreads out into space. Here are the details
Planet with a tail WASP-69b has a tail extending 580 thousand kilometers
Researchers uncovered the fascinating phenomenon through detailed observations at the KECK Observatory in Hawaii. WASP-69b’s tail reaches a length of 580,000 kilometers, one and a half times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. However, scientists estimate that it could be even longer, as they could not see the end of the tail during the observation period. The formation of this structure is possible when intense radiation from the star “boils” the planet’s atmosphere and pushes it into space.
Lead author Dakotah Tyler explained the discovery:
“Previous research had suggested the existence of a thin tail, or even none at all. But now we have pinpointed this structure and shown that it is at least seven times longer than the planet itself.”
The more interesting part is that scientists could not see the end of the tail during the observation period, and it is thought that the tail may grow even longer. Meanwhile, the comet is losing about 200,000 tons of gas (hydrogen and helium) every second. However, according to reports, this loss is insignificant in the face of WASP-69b’s enormous mass.
The planet has 90 times the mass of Earth and has lost only two Earth masses of gas to date. For this reason, the planet is said to persist throughout its lifetime. According to the researchers, the discovery has opened a new window for understanding the dynamics of large gas giant planets known as “hot Jupiters”.
The study, shared by NASA and published in The Astrophysical Journal, is available here. Why do you think such discoveries are so important? Let us know in the comments section below.
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