Faraway Hot Jupiter Leaves Gigantic Helium Tail

Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet, HAT-P-32b, that is leaking its atmosphere in giant jets, forming two tails that span a distance greater than 53 times the exoplanet's radius. The exoplanet is a gas giant, 1.8 times the radius of Jupiter, and is located around 923 light-years away. The exoplanet is losing its atmosphere due to its proximity to its star, which heats it to a temperature of around 1,836 Kelvin. The discovery suggests that many more of these giant tails may be out there, waiting to be discovered.