Tag #Planetary Disintegration

What is the significance of the discovery of BD+05 4868 Ab, a disintegrating lava planet with a 9-million kilometer tail?

A team of astronomers from MIT has discovered a disintegrating lava planet, BD+05 4868 Ab, approximately 140 light-years from Earth. The planet, smaller than Mercury but larger than the Moon, possesses a 9-million kilometer tail, shedding material equivalent to Mount Everest's mass per orbit. This rapid disintegration, caused by extreme heat from its star, is predicted to result in the planet's complete disappearance within 1 to 2 million years.