WASP-12b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the star WASP-12, discovered on April 1, 2008, by the Super wasp planetary transit survey. The planet takes only a little over one Earth day to orbit its star, in contrast to about 365¼ days for the Earth to orbit the Sun. Unlike other planets in its class, WASP-12b has the unique capability to trap at least 94 percent of the visible starlight falling into its atmosphere. The temperature of the atmosphere is a seething 4,600 degrees Fahrenheit, which prevents the formation of reflective clouds on the day side. Almost two times the size of our Jupiter, WASP-12b is a sizzling gas giant whose temperature is approximately 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,210 degrees Celsius). Gravity causes enormous tidal forces which are streching the planet into the shape of an egg. WASP-12b is located roughly 1,200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Auriga. It was discovered in March 2009 using the transit method. It is 1.8 times Jupiter's radius, and 1.4 times Jupiter's mass. The doomed planet WASP-12b is a hot Jupiter that orbits so close to its parent star, it's being torn apart. It takes this alien world only 1.1 days to completely circle its sun. The star's scorching heat is slowly stripping away and devouring the planet's atmosphere. The tidal forces exerted by its star are sufficiently strong to distort the exoplanet into a prolate shape and cause mass loss at a rate of 1 Earth-mass every ~30,000 years. WASP-12b is the hottest planet with a measured atmospheric composition. WASP-12b is known as a “hot Jupiter,” a giant gaseous planet like our neighbor planet Jupiter, but which is very close to its own star, orbiting its sun in just 26 hours. WASP-12b is located roughly 1,200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Auriga. It was discovered in March 2009 using the transit method. It is 1.8 times Jupiter's radius, and 1.4 times Jupiter's mass. The planet, WASP-12b, has a diameter roughly 80% larger than that of Jupiter, seen projected against the sun in the lower panel. Gravity in that planet causes enormous tidal forces which are stretching the planet into the shape of an egg.

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