Unraveling the Mystery: NASA's Findings on Shrinking Exoplanets

Astronomers have discovered that some exoplanets are losing their atmospheres, causing them to shrink. This phenomenon, known as "core-powered mass loss," occurs when radiation from the planet's hot core pushes away its atmosphere from within. This process can transform a puffy, sub-Neptune planet into a rocky super-Earth. The findings explain why there are few exoplanets with sizes between a super-Earth and sub-Neptune. The study analyzed exoplanet data collected by NASA's Kepler 2 mission and suggests that core-powered mass loss is the likely reason behind atmospheric escape on these planets.