Astronomers have discovered two planets, 3900 light years from here, that have very close relationship with its dying star, and much of it is disruptive. The star has passed its red-giant phase (our sun will reach this phase in about 5 billion years) and as it swelled to many times its original size-characteristic of this phase, it would be expected to vaporise planets close by. However, the-se planets survived somehow and now violently orbit the star well within its outer atmosphere.
When the star KOI 55 aged, it burned up most of its fuel towards the end, exposing the central core as its fiery envelope expanded. This planets orbiting it, named KOI 55.01 and KOI 55.02 plunged into this envelope and migrated very close to the core. This movement led a friction that ripped the outer layers of the planets leaving behind only the inner core of iron and heavy elements, which the astronomers believe they are now seeing.
“At these distances, the planets would have been engulfed deep within their host star during its time as a red giant. Yet these two planets seem to be alive and well, which begs the question, how did they survive? ” writes Eliza M. R. Kempton, an astronomer at, University of California.