Archive · 22 Nov 2025
First-Ever Massive Stellar Blast Capable of Stripping Planetary Atmospheres Detected
Scientists have seen a big burst of energy from a star for the first time.
This burst could take away the air from any planets close to the star.
This helps us understand how stars affect their planets and how planets might lose their air around other stars.
Astronomers have observed a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) from a nearby star for the first time
The explosion could strip nearby planets of their atmospheres
The event was detected using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space observatory and the LOFAR radio telescope
Smaller stars can produce more powerful space weather than the Sun
The CME originated from a red dwarf star, which is cooler and smaller than the Sun
- Who
- Astronomers
- What
- Detected a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) from a nearby star
- When
- Recently
- Where
- In space, from a red dwarf star
- Why
- To understand how stars influence their planets
Pro
Con
Understanding Space Weather
Pro
This discovery provides new opportunities to understand space weather and eruptions on other stars.
Con
N/A
- Event
- Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)
- Speed
- 2,400 kilometres per second
- Star Type
- Red dwarf star
- Star Mass
- Approximately half that of the Sun
- Star Rotation
- About 20 times faster than the Sun
- Star Magnetic Field
- About 300 times stronger than the Sun