Astronomers have spotted BD+05 4868 Ab, a small rocky exoplanet, disintegrating as it orbits its star.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Apr 25, 2025
The planet, located 140 light years away in the Pegasus constellation, is shrinking rapidly due to its extreme proximity to its star.
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Its surface temperature has soared to 1,600°C, likely turning it into molten rock and causing it to vaporize.
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With each orbit, the planet sheds material equal to the mass of Mount Everest, forming a tail of dust that wraps halfway around the star.
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The planet's close orbit—about 20 times closer than Mercury to the Sun—contributes to its swift destruction.
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Researchers estimate that BD+05 4868 Ab will be completely disintegrated within a million years.
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The vaporized material cools into mineral dust that streams away from the planet, resembling a comet-like tail.
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The study was conducted using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which detected the planet’s dimming as it passed in front of its star.
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Scientists aim to further investigate the tail's composition using the James Webb Space Telescope for clues about rocky exoplanets' makeup.
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This discovery provides a rare opportunity to study the mineral composition of a disintegrating planet and offers insights into exoplanet geology and habitability.