13 March
2003: On 13 March 2003, a mainly European team led by Alfred Vidal-Madjar (Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, CNRS, France) reported in Nature the observation of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet evaporating into space.
Using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers observed phenomenon for the first time. The scorched planet called HD 209458b orbits ‘only’ 7 million kilometres from its yellow Sun-like star. By comparison, Jupiter, the closest gas giant in our Solar System, orbits 780 million kilometres from our Sun.
Hubble observations revealed a hot and puffed-up evaporating hydrogen atmosphere surrounding the planet. Much of this planet may eventually disappear, leaving only a dense core. It is a type of extrasolar planet known as a 'hot Jupiter'. These giant gaseous planets orbit their stars very closely, drawn to them like moths to a flame.
