Astronomers have documented a bizarre cycle of molecular destruction and rebirth on an ultra-hot, Jupiter-like exoplanet where surface temperatures exceed 4,290 degrees Celsius.
By all accounts, the exoplanet known as WASP-19b is a pretty inhospitable place. As one of the closest known hot-Jupiters to its star — orbiting just two per cent of the distance between the Earth and the Sun — it’s home to a scorchingly hot, violent atmosphere. The side of…