Scientists have been exploring the evolution of our universe for decades, trying to gain a better understanding of the cosmic phenomenon exhibited by the celestial bodies that occupy the space. They've found planets that come in all shapes and sizes, from small dwarf planets to massive gaseous planets, with some sharing similarities but many having their own unique characteristics that set them apart from the rest.
With thousands of confirmed exoplanets and discoveries growing rapidly, it's safe to say the universe's planet portfolio is packed with some weird and wonderful entries. We have compiled some of the strangest planets that have been detected and we have shared their idiosyncrasies for the stargazers and Astro enthusiasts amongst us, so grab your telescope and get ready to blast off into outer space.
Space.com notes that astronomers first discovered GJ 1214b in December 2009 and according to NASA, it's only the second super-Earth exoplanet for which astronomers have determined the mass and radius. The alien planet is said to be "about 2.7 times Earth's diameter and weighs nearly seven times as much as our home planet."
Despite its supersized circumference, study lead author Zachory Berta observed that a huge fraction of its mass is actually made up of water, and the planet itself is enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere, most likely generated from its soaring hot temperatures, which are estimated to be around 446°F (or 230°C) on the surface.
"The high temperatures and high pressures would form exotic materials like 'hot ice' or 'superfluid water,' substances that are completely alien to our everyday experience," Berta remarked, highlighting GJ 1214b's unique properties that make it unlike anything seen in our Solar System or any other planetary system currently known.
The WASP-107b discovery was announced in 2017 as part of a study led by D. R. Anderson and a team of colleagues, published in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal. It is described as being a Neptune-like exoplanet that is about as big as Jupiter (which is 11 times wider than Earth) but carries only one-tenth of Jupiter's mass or about 30 times that of Earth.
The planet's ultra-low mass means it packs an extremely low density, which can be likened to that of a marshmallow. For that reason, astrophysicists have frequently dubbed WASP-107b to be a "super-puff" or "cotton-candy" planet, however, new research shows the exoplanet's weirdness extends even further beyond its descriptors.
According to New Atlas, a more recent study found the planet's solid core to have "a mass of four Earths or less," with about 85% of its mass contained within its gassy atmosphere. These numbers defy models for how gas giants are formed as it was previously understood that gas giant planets need "a solid core of at least 10 Earth masses" in order to attract gas.
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite first detected TOI-1431b in late 2019. Astrophysicist Dr. Brett Addison conducted a series of follow-up observations with a team of astronomers using a Stellar Observation Network Group telescope in the Canary Islands, along with other telescopes across the globe, to confirm the existence of the fiery planet.
TOI-1431b, also known as MASCARA-5b, was found 490 light-years from Earth by researchers at the University of Southern Queensland's Centre for Astrophysics. The gaseous ball of flames is one of the hottest planets ever surveyed. It is described as an "ultra-hot Jupiter," though it's nearly twice as large as its namesake, which is the solar system's largest planet.
"This is a very hellish world - dayside temperature of about 3000K (approx. 2700°C) and nightside temperature approaching 2600K (approx. 2300°C) – no life could survive in its atmosphere. In fact, the planet's nightside temperature is the second hottest ever measured," Addison, the lead researcher of the study, said in a press statement.
By comparison, the temperature of molten lava typically falls between 970K (approx. 700°C) to 1520K (approx. 1250°C), so the planet is significantly hotter than that of hot liquid rock and greater than the melting point of most metals, many of which turn to liquid under 2273K (or 2000°C). In fact, Addison told CNET the planet's blistering temperatures are approaching that of a rocket engine exhaust.
HD 189733b was discovered orbiting the star HD 189733 in 2005, according to an Astronomy & Astrophysics volume which details an exoplanet-search programme that was launched to detect gas giants that are most likely to transit their host star. NASA's catalog entry for the far-off blue planet reveals its mass to be 1.13 Jupiters – and Jupiter has a mass 2.5 times that of all other planets in the Solar System put together.
The atmospheric alien world stands out in the vast dense darkness of the universe because it has a bright blue marble appearance, which NASA says is generated from the planet's hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing clouds laced with glass that rains – sideways – when combined with the ferocious winds that blow up to 5,400 mph (2 km/s).
As well as the rain dropping like needles at a super high speed during the planet's deadly downpours, those glass streams are also super-hot due to the close proximity between HD 189733b and its sun. In fact, Space.com reports that scientists have measured the nightmare world's daytime temperatures to soar as high as 1700°F (930°C), making the rain less like water, and more like molten glass.
Kepler-16b is an extrasolar planet that was detected in the Kepler-16 system during NASA's Kepler mission led by Laurence Doyle of the SETI Institute back in 2011. The mission's research team used the data from the Kepler space telescope to search for transiting planets, and noticed "the brightness of this particular system dipped even when the stars were not eclipsing one another, hinting at a third body."
The team discovered that Kepler-16b was in "circumbinary" orbit, circling two stars as opposed to one, which means that the planet would have two sunsets if you could stand on its surface, much like Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine in the Star Wars saga. The discovery of Kepler-16b demonstrated the diversity of the planets in our galaxy and broadened the prospects of what scientists and filmmakers could conceive.
"Working in film, we often are tasked with creating something never before seen," said visual effects supervisor John Knoll of Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm. "However, more often than not, scientific discoveries prove to be more spectacular than anything we dare imagine. There is no doubt these discoveries influence and inspire storytellers. Their very existence serves as cause to dream bigger and open our minds to new possibilities beyond what we think we 'know.'"
Unlike the location of the Lars homestead though, Kepler-16b is said to be "cold, gaseous and not thought to harbor life." NASA estimates the planet to be about the size of Saturn, a planet that is 9 times wider than Earth, but its parent stars are smaller and cooler than our sun. Kepler-16b is thought to be made up of half rock and half gas but liquid water could exist on the surface as it lies outside of its two stars "habitable zone."
For more on space and planets, read about how Venus had possible signs of life dating back to 1978, check out this study on parallel universes where time runs backward, and how lakes were discovered on the surface of Mars.
Cover image credit: NASA/W. Stenzel
Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
Continue reading...
With thousands of confirmed exoplanets and discoveries growing rapidly, it's safe to say the universe's planet portfolio is packed with some weird and wonderful entries. We have compiled some of the strangest planets that have been detected and we have shared their idiosyncrasies for the stargazers and Astro enthusiasts amongst us, so grab your telescope and get ready to blast off into outer space.
GJ 1214b – A Water World
Space.com notes that astronomers first discovered GJ 1214b in December 2009 and according to NASA, it's only the second super-Earth exoplanet for which astronomers have determined the mass and radius. The alien planet is said to be "about 2.7 times Earth's diameter and weighs nearly seven times as much as our home planet."
Despite its supersized circumference, study lead author Zachory Berta observed that a huge fraction of its mass is actually made up of water, and the planet itself is enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere, most likely generated from its soaring hot temperatures, which are estimated to be around 446°F (or 230°C) on the surface.
"The high temperatures and high pressures would form exotic materials like 'hot ice' or 'superfluid water,' substances that are completely alien to our everyday experience," Berta remarked, highlighting GJ 1214b's unique properties that make it unlike anything seen in our Solar System or any other planetary system currently known.
WASP-107b – A Puffball Planet
The WASP-107b discovery was announced in 2017 as part of a study led by D. R. Anderson and a team of colleagues, published in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal. It is described as being a Neptune-like exoplanet that is about as big as Jupiter (which is 11 times wider than Earth) but carries only one-tenth of Jupiter's mass or about 30 times that of Earth.
The planet's ultra-low mass means it packs an extremely low density, which can be likened to that of a marshmallow. For that reason, astrophysicists have frequently dubbed WASP-107b to be a "super-puff" or "cotton-candy" planet, however, new research shows the exoplanet's weirdness extends even further beyond its descriptors.
According to New Atlas, a more recent study found the planet's solid core to have "a mass of four Earths or less," with about 85% of its mass contained within its gassy atmosphere. These numbers defy models for how gas giants are formed as it was previously understood that gas giant planets need "a solid core of at least 10 Earth masses" in order to attract gas.
TOI-1431b (aka MASCARA-5b) – A Hellishly Hot Planet
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite first detected TOI-1431b in late 2019. Astrophysicist Dr. Brett Addison conducted a series of follow-up observations with a team of astronomers using a Stellar Observation Network Group telescope in the Canary Islands, along with other telescopes across the globe, to confirm the existence of the fiery planet.
TOI-1431b, also known as MASCARA-5b, was found 490 light-years from Earth by researchers at the University of Southern Queensland's Centre for Astrophysics. The gaseous ball of flames is one of the hottest planets ever surveyed. It is described as an "ultra-hot Jupiter," though it's nearly twice as large as its namesake, which is the solar system's largest planet.
"This is a very hellish world - dayside temperature of about 3000K (approx. 2700°C) and nightside temperature approaching 2600K (approx. 2300°C) – no life could survive in its atmosphere. In fact, the planet's nightside temperature is the second hottest ever measured," Addison, the lead researcher of the study, said in a press statement.
By comparison, the temperature of molten lava typically falls between 970K (approx. 700°C) to 1520K (approx. 1250°C), so the planet is significantly hotter than that of hot liquid rock and greater than the melting point of most metals, many of which turn to liquid under 2273K (or 2000°C). In fact, Addison told CNET the planet's blistering temperatures are approaching that of a rocket engine exhaust.
HD 189733b – An Atmospheric Alien World
HD 189733b was discovered orbiting the star HD 189733 in 2005, according to an Astronomy & Astrophysics volume which details an exoplanet-search programme that was launched to detect gas giants that are most likely to transit their host star. NASA's catalog entry for the far-off blue planet reveals its mass to be 1.13 Jupiters – and Jupiter has a mass 2.5 times that of all other planets in the Solar System put together.
The atmospheric alien world stands out in the vast dense darkness of the universe because it has a bright blue marble appearance, which NASA says is generated from the planet's hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing clouds laced with glass that rains – sideways – when combined with the ferocious winds that blow up to 5,400 mph (2 km/s).
As well as the rain dropping like needles at a super high speed during the planet's deadly downpours, those glass streams are also super-hot due to the close proximity between HD 189733b and its sun. In fact, Space.com reports that scientists have measured the nightmare world's daytime temperatures to soar as high as 1700°F (930°C), making the rain less like water, and more like molten glass.
Kepler-16b – Two-Suns Tatooine Planet
Kepler-16b is an extrasolar planet that was detected in the Kepler-16 system during NASA's Kepler mission led by Laurence Doyle of the SETI Institute back in 2011. The mission's research team used the data from the Kepler space telescope to search for transiting planets, and noticed "the brightness of this particular system dipped even when the stars were not eclipsing one another, hinting at a third body."
The team discovered that Kepler-16b was in "circumbinary" orbit, circling two stars as opposed to one, which means that the planet would have two sunsets if you could stand on its surface, much like Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine in the Star Wars saga. The discovery of Kepler-16b demonstrated the diversity of the planets in our galaxy and broadened the prospects of what scientists and filmmakers could conceive.
"Working in film, we often are tasked with creating something never before seen," said visual effects supervisor John Knoll of Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm. "However, more often than not, scientific discoveries prove to be more spectacular than anything we dare imagine. There is no doubt these discoveries influence and inspire storytellers. Their very existence serves as cause to dream bigger and open our minds to new possibilities beyond what we think we 'know.'"
Unlike the location of the Lars homestead though, Kepler-16b is said to be "cold, gaseous and not thought to harbor life." NASA estimates the planet to be about the size of Saturn, a planet that is 9 times wider than Earth, but its parent stars are smaller and cooler than our sun. Kepler-16b is thought to be made up of half rock and half gas but liquid water could exist on the surface as it lies outside of its two stars "habitable zone."
For more on space and planets, read about how Venus had possible signs of life dating back to 1978, check out this study on parallel universes where time runs backward, and how lakes were discovered on the surface of Mars.
Cover image credit: NASA/W. Stenzel
Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
Continue reading...