Helium that was once part of the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HAT-P-32b is being ripped away and forming two giant streamers of gas several million kilometers long.
exoplanets
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Nearby Volcano Planet Likely Fueled by Tidal Heating
A gravitational dance between a newly discovered exoplanet and its host star may be driving extreme volcanism on its surface.
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Rocky Exoplanet May Have Magnetic Field
Magnetic interactions between stellar wind and the planet likely caused extrasolar space weather.
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Exoplanets May Support Life in the Terminator Zone
A new study finds that the intersection between a searing dayside and a freezing nightside could be habitable.
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Hydrogen May Push Some Exoplanets off a Cliff
High-pressure reactions of hydrogen and iron could explain gaps in the distribution of exoplanets.
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Marauding Moons Spell Disaster for Some Planets
In solar systems beyond our own, some moons might eventually collide with their host planets, new simulations suggest.
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“Hot Jupiter” Is in a Possible Death Spiral
Kepler’s first exoplanet is migrating toward its star, an evolved subgiant that is much bigger than first thought.
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Extremeness of Seasons Determined by Planetary Motion Parameters
We’ve long known that a planet’s orbital period and tilt determine length and intensity of seasons. We now see rotation rate matters too: max temperature shifts poleward as rotation slows.
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Massive Stars May Commit Grand Theft Planet
New simulations show that planets around young, massive stars may have been captured or stolen rather than homegrown.
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Pulsar Planets Are Exceedingly Rare
A new survey of hundreds of pulsars could help solve the mystery of why planets exist around these dead stars.