Cannibal 'Hot Jupiter' planet devours Mercury-sized neighbor.

Astronomers have discovered that the ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet, WASP-76 b, has a similar composition to its star, with the same abundances of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. The team identified 11 chemical elements in the atmosphere of the planet, some of which haven't even been measured in the solar system gas giants Saturn and Jupiter yet. The planet's proximity to its parent star causes temperatures to soar to around 4,350 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to vaporize iron. The team also found a higher abundance of nickel than expected around WASP-76 b, which could imply that at some point in its history, the gas giant planet swallowed a smaller terrestrial world similar to Mercury that was rich with the element.