Unraveling the Enigma: Unprecedented Stellar Flare Outshines the Sun
Scientists from the University of Leicester have proposed a new explanation for a stellar flare a trillion times more powerful than the largest solar flares. They suggest that a massive young planet, roughly ten times larger than Jupiter, is undergoing extreme evaporation near a protostar. The planet's material is being torn off and flung onto the star, causing it to grow brighter. This discovery could reshape our understanding of star and planet formation, as it implies that protoplanetary discs are violent and chaotic environments where many young planets are burned and consumed by their stars.