Red Dwarf Burns off Planet's Hydrogen Giving It Massive Comet-Like Tail (IMAGE)
Caption
'What we can see is a large cloud of hydrogen gas absorbing the light from a red dwarf star as its exoplanet, GJ 436b, passes in front. The cloud is created as of result of x-rays emitted from the red dwarf burning off GJ 436b's upper atmosphere. 'The cloud forms a comet-like tail as a result of ultraviolet light coming from the star pushing on the hydrogen and causing it to spiral outwards. 'Around 1000 metric tonnes of hydrogen are being burnt off from GJ 436b's atmosphere every second; which equates to only 0.1 percent of its total mass every billion years. The same process is likely to be much stronger on other exoplanets, where the entire atmosphere could be removed or evaporated to destruction'.
Credit
Mark Garlick/University of Warwick
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