Superhot Planet Likely Possesses Comet-Like Tail
Thursday, July 15, 2010 - 08:28
in Astronomy & Space
The gas giant exoplanet, dubbed HD 209458b, is orbiting so close to its star that its heated atmosphere is escaping into space. New spectroscopic observations by NASA's Hubble suggest that powerful stellar winds are sweeping the castoff material behind the scorched planet and shaping it into a comet-like tail.