James Webb Telescope locates exoplanet that is destroying itself and NASA is trying to understand why

Planet’s Death

Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) challenge earlier theories about a 2020 cosmic event, where a planet was thought to have been passively engulfed by its expanding host star. New findings suggest the planet’s own movements played a key role in its destruction.

Caught in the Act

In May 2020, astronomers detected a dramatic stellar event 12,000 light-years away. What seemed to be a simple case of a red giant swallowing its planet turned out, under Webb's infrared scrutiny, to be a complex, violent interaction triggered by the planet itself.

Orbital Decay

According to research published on 10 April 2025 in The Astrophysical Journal, the planet spiralled closer to its star over time due to orbital decay. This gradual inward drift led to intense interactions with the star’s atmosphere, stripping away the planet’s layers.

Hot Gas Ring and Dust Cloud

JWST’s data revealed a surrounding hot gas ring and dust cloud, evidence that the planet contributed to its own end. As the gas giant neared the star, it likely shed mass, releasing dust and gas into space, which now forms a visible ring structure.

Planet’s Enormous Size

Researchers believe the doomed planet was a massive gas giant, possibly several times Jupiter’s size. Its size made it particularly vulnerable to gravitational forces, accelerating its fall into the star and making the event especially violent.

Rare Insight Into Planetary Life Cycles

This event gives astronomers a rare opportunity to witness how massive planets might meet their end as their host stars age. Such observations shed light on the fate of other gas giants in far-off systems — and possibly even the future of planets in our own.

Webb Continues to Expand Cosmic Understanding

The findings reinforce the JWST’s power to reveal intricate processes in the universe. This discovery not only rewrites a known event but opens new paths for studying planet-star interactions and their impact on planetary systems.