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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: New "Impossible" Planet May Be on a Death Spiral


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A Jupiter-size planet in a very tight orbit is eclipsed by its parent star in an artist's conception.

A newfound "hot Jupiter" even closer to its star has what should be an impossible orbit, scientists said in August 2009. The find suggests the odd world is either on death's door or that it represents a new way for stars and planets to interact.

Picture courtesy ESA, NASA, M. Kornmesser (ESA/Hubble), and STScI