Torn apart by its own tides, massive planet is on a ‘death march’

Astrophysicists have determined that a massive planet outside our Solar System is being distorted and destroyed by its host star — a finding that helps explain the unexpectedly large size of the planet, WASP-12b. It’s a discovery that not only explains what’s happening to WASP-12b; it also means scientists have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to observe how a planet enters this final stage of its life.