chandra_579 September 16th, 2014
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/I.Pillitteri et al; Optical: DSS; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
The artist's illustration featured in the main part of this graphic depicts a star and its planet, WASP-18b, a giant exoplanet that orbits very close to it. A new study using Chandra data has shown that WASP-18b is making the star that it orbits act much older than it actually is. The lower inset box reveals that no X-rays were detected during a long Chandra observation. This is surprising given the age of the star, suggesting the planet is weakening the star's magnetic field through tidal forces.
Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/wasp18/
Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
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