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15h ago

Gas Giant HIP 67522 b Proven to Ignite Supercharged Flares on Its Star

Observations reveal that HIP 67522 b’s orbit disturbs stellar magnetic fields to spark supercharged flares, setting the stage for broader searches of planet-induced activity.

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An exoplanet orbiting close to its host star triggers violent flares that are destroying its atmosphere, according to new research from the European Space Agency's Cheops mission.

Overview

  • Analysis of TESS and CHEOPS data confirms that flares on HIP 67522 coincide exactly with the planet’s seven-day orbit.
  • The triggered eruptions unleash energy thousands of times greater than the Sun’s most powerful flares.
  • Repeated bursts are eroding the planet’s wispy atmosphere and are expected to reduce its size from Jupiter to Neptune scale over 100 million years.
  • Teams plan multiwavelength observations and expanded surveys of close-in gas giants to assess how widespread this magnetic interaction may be.
  • This first observed case of a planet influencing its star challenges existing models of exoplanet evolution and offers a new approach to detecting distant worlds.