Star eats planet

space.com ^ | 05/20/10 | Andrea Thompson

[Frenchtown Dan]

The hottest known planet in our galaxy is being stretched into the shape of a football and rapidly consumed by its parent star, new observations from the Hubble Space Telescope show.

The extrasolar planet on the cosmic menu, called WASP-12b, may only have another 10 million years left before it is completely devoured, Hubble scientists announced Thursday.

WASP-12b is so close to its sun-like star that it is superheated to nearly 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit and stretched into an elongated shape by enormous tidal forces.

[SunkenCiv]

thanks Frenchtown Dan and raybbr!

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[bigheadfred]

I though it was about Oprah

It says "Star". Not "Black Hole". DUH. :-))

[Frenchtown Dan]

You’re quite welcome, and thanks for the links!