Exoplanet Disintegration: Insights From JWST & TESS

In the realm of modern astrophysics, the study of exoplanets has taken center stage as scientists seek to understand the myriad worlds that exist outside our solar system. This article delves into a significant development presented at the 2025 Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, where two independent teams, one from Penn State University and the other from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), unveiled remarkable findings concerning an extreme form of planetary destruction: the disintegration of rocky planets under the intense heat of their host stars.

Background of the Research

The ongoing exploration of rocky exoplanets has revealed an unexpected phenomenon — certain planets are experiencing extreme conditions and actively shedding their material into space. Only observable due to their proximity to their stars, these processes allow astronomers to study the dynamics and compositions of these disintegrating worlds.

The Penn State and MIT teams utilized the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to gather critical data on these exoplanets. The research effectively illustrates how the gravitational pull of stars can affect rocky planets, causing them to lose their structural integrity and mass.