Astronomers They found a rocky exoplanet With a “comet tail” decomposed, as it rotates very close to its sun. It is estimated that it is in size somewhere between our own Hermes and the Moon.
Astronomers observed a small, rocky exoplanet that rotates dangerously near his star and dissolved as his surface is ventilated due to high temperature, Leaving behind a ‘tail’ of mineral dust, 9 million kilometers long, reminiscent of a comet.
Since the 1990s, about 5,800 planets have been discovered outside our solar system, the so -called exoplanets. Of these, only four have been observed to decompose in orbit, such as him. The planet is the closest to the four to our solar system and gives scientists a unique opportunity to find out what is happening to these condemned worlds.
Researchers noticed the planet BD+05 4868 Ab while gradually becomes dust, Leaving, with each of his rounds around his star, a quantity of material equal to the volume of Mount Everest. Tail of dust leaves behind it covers the star semicircle in length
The planet is estimated to have a size somewhere between our own Hermes and the Moon. It is located in the constellation of Pegasus and is about 140 years of light from Earth. One year of light is the distance that covers light within one year, ie 9.5 trillion kilometers.
His star BD+05 4868 Ab It’s an orange dwarf. It is smaller, colder and not as brilliant as the sun: it has about 70% of the mass and the diameter of the sun and about 20% of its brightness. The planet makes a complete rotation around it every 30.5 hours, about 20 times smaller than the Hermes from the sun.
On the surface of the planet is calculated that The temperature reaches 1,600 degrees Celsiusbecause of his proximity to the star. As a result, the surface has already been converted into magma, into a melted rock.
The BD+05 4868 Exoplanet was detected thanks to NASA Tess
“We expect the planet to become dust within the next one million years or somewhere there,” he said Mark Honpostdoctoral researcher at the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Hon was the key author of the study published today (22.04.2025) in the scientific review “Astrophysical Journal Lettersยป.
“On a cosmic scale, this period is considered devastatingly small. Dissolution is a galloping process. The more material on the planet is triggered, the faster the dissolution process becomes, “he explained.
The disappearance, when found in space, solidifies and forms powder molecules of various sizes, removed from the planet. Hon noted that scientists are not yet aware of the chemical composition of the “tail”.
Researchers identified BD+05 4868 thanks to NASA’s telescopeto observe exoplanets.
It is not clear at the moment how this planet has come to wander so close to his star. It is probably initially in another trajectory, which changed due to the gravitational effect of a foreign body, perhaps another planet, Hon explained.
Researchers plan to continue observing the planet in the coming months, using the James Webb’s telescope of NASAto study the composition of the tail material, which could give them some information on the chemical composition of the rocky exoplanets. To search for life in other solar systems scientists focus on rocky exoplanets who rotate in orbit around their star in the so -called ‘Zone of Chrysomallousa’ or habitable zone – that is, at a distance where there can be water in their surface wet state.
“The tail is expected to contain ores that have been elapsed from the surface or interior of the planet. It could even be material from its core. It is a huge challenge to learn about the interior of the planets. It is even difficult for planets in our own solar system. But the BD+05 4868 Ab It will allow us to directly measure the composition of a planet similar to Earth outside our own solar system.
It is definitely about an excellent opportunity to learn the geology of the exoplanets And to understand the variety and the possible ability to inhabit the rocky worlds outside our solar system, “Hon said.