Astonishing exoplanets - 09/23/17 04:36 PM
A PLANET DARKER THAN FRESH ASPHALT
Exoplanets - aka extrasolar planets - are planets that orbit other stars.
Scientific American reports that a huge hot world, WASP-12b, is darker than fresh asphalt. The exoplanet, lying about 1400 light years away, is about twice Jupiter's size. Once almost every twenty-four hours it orbits its star.
WASP-12b is a hellish place. Its star's gravity has pulled it into an egg shape, and temperatures on the dayside are about 2600 C (4700 F). This temperature would easily melt most metals.
Though WASP-12b reflects virtually no light, it does emit some: The planet is so hot that it glows red like molten metal, researchers said.
Exoplanets - aka extrasolar planets - are planets that orbit other stars.
Scientific American reports that a huge hot world, WASP-12b, is darker than fresh asphalt. The exoplanet, lying about 1400 light years away, is about twice Jupiter's size. Once almost every twenty-four hours it orbits its star.
WASP-12b is a hellish place. Its star's gravity has pulled it into an egg shape, and temperatures on the dayside are about 2600 C (4700 F). This temperature would easily melt most metals.
Though WASP-12b reflects virtually no light, it does emit some: The planet is so hot that it glows red like molten metal, researchers said.