

New planet hints we're very lucky—or our models are wrong - soundsop
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/08/new-planet-hints-were-very-luckyor-our-models-are-wrong.ars

======
cturner
The planet is sentient. It constantly swings its tides out to create momentum
that prevents it from falling into the star.

~~~
gort
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_brain>

------
rw
If the star is <1.5 billion years old, and the planet is expected to fall into
that star in <1 million years, how did that planet have both time to form
(which would have occurred far away) and to have its orbit decay?

~~~
ars
The idea is that it formed farther away, and has been "falling" the whole
time, and it's just about to hit the star. Which is dismissed as an unlikely
coincidence, but maybe.

We should be able to find out soon.

If it's really that close, and the existing estimate for Q is correct, the
orbital period should change measurably within the next year or two.

