Mysterious Planet Defies Destruction and Baffles Scientists

Astronomers have discovered a planet, named Halla, orbiting a red giant star called Baekdu, which should have been engulfed by the star's expansion. The star has already started fusing helium in its core, indicating that it should have grown large enough to consume the planet. However, two possible scenarios have been proposed to explain Halla's survival: either Baekdu was once part of a binary star system that prevented its expansion, or Halla is a relatively newborn planet formed from the collision of two stars. This discovery challenges our understanding of where exoplanets can exist.