In the Media

MIT astronomers have discovered a planet disintegrating at a rapid pace, reports Xinhua. “Roughly the size of Mercury, the planet orbits its host star at an extremely close distance - about 20 times closer than Mercury is to the Sun - completing a full orbit every 30.5 hours,” explains Xinhua. “Due to this intense proximity, researchers believe the planet is likely covered in molten magma, which is vaporizing and streaming into space.”