Astronomers have discovered an unusual exoplanet with a long tail of gas trailing behind it. The planet, dubbed WASP-69 b, is a hot Jupiter located 164 light-years away from Earth in the Aquarius constellation. It’s shedding its atmosphere at a rate of 200,000 tons per second due to harsh stellar winds blowing from its host star.
The strong radiation causes hydrogen and helium particles to “photoevaporate” into space, creating a trail behind the planet. The tail is estimated to be 350,000 miles long, roughly 1.5 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.
According to lead author Dakotah Tyler, the exoplanet’s unusual appendage can change size and shape as the stellar winds shift. Studying this phenomenon is crucial for understanding the demographics of close-in planets. WASP-69 b is unlikely to run out of gas in its atmosphere due to its massive size and estimated mass equivalent to Earth every one billion years.
Source: https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-intrigued-planet-long-tail