Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Two exoplanets are disintegrating before our telescopic eyes, leaving gigantic comet-like trails of debris. Intense stellar heat is peeling away their surfaces, exposing their interiors in a rare celestial spectacle.
Credit : NASA
These planets belong to the ultra-short-period (USP) category, completing orbits in mere hours. Their tight proximity to their stars subjects them to relentless radiation, extreme tidal forces, and catastrophic evaporation.
Credit : NASA
Many USPs are tidally locked, permanently exposing one side to scorching heat. With surfaces hot enough to vaporize rock, they are unable to retain their material, leading to an unstoppable, self-destructive cycle.
Credit : NASA
Astronomers detected asymmetric dust tails, proving these planets are disintegrating in real time. Lead researcher Marc Hon of MIT’s TESS Science Office describes the event as “utterly cataclysmic.”
MIT researchers estimate one planet, BD+05 4868Ab, is losing mass at a rate of 10 Earth masses per billion years. Since it’s roughly moon-sized, its total destruction is imminent—within a few million years.
Using JWST, Nick Tusay, a PhD student at Penn State, found that the expelled material resembles mantle minerals, not iron-core remnants. This suggests that planetary interiors are far more complex than previously thought.
JWST detected NO and CO₂ in the planet’s vapor trail, unexpected for a rocky world. Co-author Jason Wright of Penn State calls it “a ‘who-ordered-that?’ moment,” suggesting a possible link to icy comets.
Credit : NASA
MIT scientist Avi Shporer highlights that BD+05 4868Ab’s host star is 100 times brighter than any other disintegrating planet’s, making it a prime benchmark for future exoplanetary studies.
JWST was never designed to study disintegrating exoplanets, yet its capabilities have unlocked an entirely new research field. Scientists now have an unparalleled window into planetary death and composition.