Suicidal planet seems on death spiral into star

[redqueen]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090826/ap_on_sc/us_sci_suicidal_planet

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein, Ap Science Writer – Wed Aug 26, 1:00 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Astronomers have found what appears to be a gigantic suicidal planet.

The odd, fiery planet is so close to its star and so large that it is triggering tremendous plasma tides on the star. Those powerful tides are in turn warping the planet's zippy less-than-a-day orbit around its star.

The result: an ever-closer tango of death, with the planet eventually spiraling into the star.

It's a slow death. The planet WASP-18b has maybe a million years to live, said planet discoverer Coel Hellier, a professor of astrophysics at the Keele University in England. Hellier's report on the suicidal planet is in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

(more at link)

Other links:
Why Does Exoplanet WASP-18b Exist?‎
Astrophysicists puzzle over planet that's too close to its sun

[derby378]

1. Sad - but also really cool

In a strange sort of manner, of course.

[redqueen]

2. Well it won't happen foraround a million years...

if then (the calculations may be off).

Either way, it's pretty neat, I think. :)

[derby378]

3. It's kinda like Comet Shoemaker-Levy crashing into Jupiter

We Earthbound types don't see this sort of thing every day, so it is pretty neat.

[Ter]

8. Well, it's lifeless at that close to its star

So not too sad. :)

[laconicsax]

4. If it goes fast enough it'll go back in time like in Star Trek...right?

[sakabatou]

5. You're thinking of Superman, laconicsax

Or Back to the Future. I'm not sure.

[laconicsax]

6. No, I'm pretty sure I'm thinking of Star Trek

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home--they slingshot around the sun and go back in time to 1986.

[sakabatou]

7. Oh. Never saw that movie.