WASP-12B: THE PECULIAR EXOPLANET ON THE BRINK OF DEMISE

 One of the most intriguing celestial discoveries, WASP-12b, is a gas giant enigmatically orbiting a youthful yellow dwarf that's both more immense and larger than our own sun. The unique proximity of WASP-12b to its star, only 1/44th of the Earth-Sun distance, enables it to complete a full revolution in merely a day.

This enigmatic planet exhibits an extraordinary mass and radius equivalent to 1.4 and 1.7 times that of Jupiter, respectively. Its unusual shape, skewed more towards an egg-like form, is a direct consequence of its close proximity to the star. The equatorial diameter of WASP-12b is a staggering 10% larger than its polar diameter.

The Hubble Telescope has revealed that the star's gravitational forces are stripping away the gas giant's atmosphere, leading to the creation of a spectacular gas disk enveloping the star. The steady decrease in the transits' period between 2008 and 2019 indicates a shrinking semi-major axis of the orbit, drawing the planet closer to its star.

In a cosmic countdown, tidal forces will likely obliterate WASP-12b in a few million years. This extraordinary discovery provides invaluable insights into the behavior and evolution of exoplanetary systems. 

Image Courtesy: NASA.