Hubble Space Telescope sees planet around red dwarf star getting hiccups

The Hubble Space Telescope has seen a young planet whirling around a red dwarf star "getting the hiccups." 

The agency said the exoplanet is so close to its parent star, AU Microscopii, that is experiencing a consistent and torrential blast of energy.

That blast evaporates its hydrogen atmosphere, causing it to puff off the planet.

While, during one orbit, the planet looked as if it wasn't losing any material at all, observations a year and a half later showed clear signs of atmospheric loss.

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NASA explained that such extreme variability between orbits was a shock to astronomers. 

"We've never seen atmosphe...