Instead of Losing its Atmosphere, an Exoplanet Puffed Up and Held Onto it universetoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from universetoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A rare exoplanet that should have been stripped down to bare rock by its nearby host star s intense radiation somehow grew a puffy atmosphere instead the latest in a string of discoveries forcing scientists to rethink theories about how planets age and die in extreme environments. Nicknamed Phoenix for its ability to survive its red giant star s radiant energy discovered planet illustrates the vast diversity of solar systems and the complexity of planetary evolution especially at the end of stars lives.