Overview

• BD+05 4868 Ab is only the fourth known disintegrating exoplanet, identified through irregular transit patterns detected by NASA's TESS mission.
• The planet orbits its star 20 times closer than Mercury does the Sun, reaching temperatures near 3,000°F and shedding mass at an unprecedented rate.
• Its debris trail spans over 5.5 million miles, wrapping around half its orbit and creating the longest dust tail observed in such planets.
• Astronomers estimate the planet will completely disintegrate within 1–2 million years due to its extreme proximity to its host star.
• Scheduled James Webb Space Telescope observations in October 2025 will analyze the composition of the dust tail, offering insights into the internal structure of rocky exoplanets.