Why is the planet eating light?
Strange atmospheric behaviour is thought to be the likely cause
1. Severe starlight
As WASP-12b sits astonishingly close to its host star, the tidally locked dayside of the planet is continuously bombarded by the radiation of the main sequence star.
2. Ripping apart the molecules
This intense radiation rips apart even the smallest molecules, such as H2, into its fundamental atoms, absorbing the sunlight as this happens.
4. Recombining to form new molecules
Once these atoms have found the cooler side, they can reform the original
molecules. This cycle would be continuous on the surface of WASP-12b.
3. Dispersing the atoms
After the atoms have separated from the molecules, they are swept
through to the other face of the planet, the much cooler nightside.