Astronomers Discover Forbidden Planet That Defied Death

Astronomers have discovered a "forbidden planet" called Halla, which has survived orbiting a red giant star named Baekdu at a distance of 46 million miles, indicating that some planets can survive the death throes of stars. The giant exoplanet, 1.7 times the mass of Jupiter, should have been destroyed, but its existence challenges previous assumptions about the survival of planets in close orbits around red giants. Possible explanations for Halla's survival include a change in Baekdu's evolution due to a merger with a white dwarf binary partner or the formation of the planet from material pulled out from the dying star by a binary companion. The discovery suggests that planet formation may be more resilient than previously thought.