Discovery of KELT-9 b

KELT-9 b is an ultra-hot Jupiter in the constellation Cygnus, discovered by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope survey. It orbits the star KELT-9, which is more than ten thousand kelvins at the surface and almost twice as hot as the Sun, in only about a day and a half. The planet's day side reaches temperatures above four thousand degrees, hotter than many stars, and so hot that molecules there break down into atoms. It is also thought to be losing material through evaporation. It is tidally locked, always showing the same face to its star. KELT-9 b has become a key object for studying the atmospheres of extremely irradiated worlds.

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