The Curious Case of the Evaporating Exoplanet
Astronomers are getting better at detecting smaller, weirder worlds.
In the past quarter century, astronomers have found a smorgasbord of worlds beyond our own: icy exoplanets and fiery exoplanets, planets the size of the moon and planets bigger than Jupiter. Some have surfaces that resemble toffee; others are like cotton candy. This cosmic candy store now carries more than 4,000 worlds, and the inventory is only expanding. The pace of discovery is so fast that the numbers cited in this story will probably be out of date by next month.
That means the latest additions are not, on their own, noteworthy. The novelty lies, instead, in they were found, and six exoplanets by looking for signs that they’re being shredded to pieces by their stars.
