Roche border

An artist's illustration of an ultrashort-period planet (USP) orbiting its host star. A newly discovered planet risks being torn apart by its host star—or being sucked into it and destroyed. Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Schaller (for STScI)

An Earth-sized planet is hurtling towards its own self-destruction.

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An ultra-short-period (USP) planet is spiraling toward destruction in about 31 million years. Its extreme heat and high density hint at a violent past.
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