The 14 Weirdest Planets In The Universe, Ranked By Astronomy Buffs
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According to the International Space Station (ISS) and NASA, more than 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered and confirmed in the last few decades. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. More are expected to be identified every year thanks to advances in space technology like the Hubble Telescope and the expertise of researchers, astrophysicists, and astronomers.
With so many planets found, scientists will continue to do what they do best: studying space to find other planets that could sustain life like Earth. So far, there hasn't been much success because even though some planets they have come across seem promising, most are uninhabitable. Many feature extreme temperatures, molten lava surfaces, ice winds, and superfast orbits that make years pass by in a matter of days.
But this doesn't mean explorations will cease, especially considering the weird and wonderful exoplanets that have been found to date. Although numerous planets are worth examining, there are a few super-odd ones in the universe with very unique characteristics.
- 1
The Whiplashing Wrecking Ball
Actual Name: HR 5183b
Year Discovered: 2019
Why It's Weird: While other planets orbit their stars in less than a day, others like HR 5183b take their time. According to NASA scientists, HR 5183b leisurely orbits its sun and takes 74 years to complete one cycle.
Yet, it's not how long it takes to orbit its host sun that's strange; it's how it orbits it. It is believed that HR 5183 b drifts to the outer edges of its system before slingshotting itself like a wrecking ball , nearly clipping its host star before it peels itself away again. This erratic behavior has led to it being called the “whiplash planet.”
So weird? - 2
The Supermassive Gas Giant That's Twice As Hot As Lava
Actual Name: TOI-849b
Year Discovered: 2020
Why It's Weird: Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland's Center for Astrophysics discovered TOI-849b in 2020. This exoplanet is believed to be almost twice as large as Jupiter and is downright hellish. Its dayside temperatures often exceed 4,892 degrees Fahrenheit, and its nighttime temperatures are almost as hot, with research pinning them at approximately 4,172 degrees Fahrenheit. These temperatures are hotter than molten lava, with lava temperatures often sitting between 1,292 degrees Fahrenheit and 2,282 degrees Fahrenheit.
In fact the temperatures on this planet can be likened to rocket engine exhaust temperatures. So, with temperatures as high as these, it's unsurprising that no life could survive in TOI-1431 b's atmosphere.
So weird? - 3
The Earth-Like Rock Where The Water Will Kill You
Actual Name: K2-18 b
Year Discovered: 2015
Why It's Weird: For years, scientists have been hopeful that K2-18 b could sustain life since water was discovered on its surface in 2019. Unfortunately, although there is indeed water on this Earth, it will kill any life form brave enough to try to dive in. This is because K2-18 b is covered in super-compressed and super-heated seas that sit in a state between liquid and gas. Ultimately, temperatures and pressures are far too high to support life, and the planet is covered by a steamy water vapor atmosphere.
So weird? - 4
The Ultra-Hot Jupiter That Gobbles Up Light
Actual Name: HAT-P-7b
Year Discovered: 2008
Why It's Weird: Tilted 108 degrees relative to its host star, HAT-P-7b is a gas giant 1.51 times the size of Jupiter. Not only is it known as an “ultra-hot Jupiter'” because its temperatures reach over 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is also gobbles up 97% of all visible light that shines upon it.
It's a planet with one of the shortest years. Since it is about 20 times closer to its sun than Earth is to the Sun, a year passes by in less than three days!
So weird? - 5
The Lump Of Coal That Barely Reflects Light
Actual Name: TrES-2b
Year Discovered: 2006
Why It's Weird: If you're afraid of the dark, there's one planet on which you won't want to find yourself, TrES-2b. Unlike many other planets in the universe, TrES-2b is known by researchers over at NASA as the planet of eternal night, since it is considered by most to be the darkest planet ever to orbit a star. The reason it could be so dark is because the planet is less reflective than coal. In fact, it only reflects a mere 1% of any light that hits it. It's safe to say that if anyone ever flew within its atmosphere, they would be flying blind.
So weird? - 6
The Cotton Candy 'Super-Puff' That Doesn't Care For Density
Actual Name: WASP-107b
Year Discovered: 2017
Why It's Weird: D.R. Anderson and a team of colleagues discovered the WASP-107 b planet as part of a study. It is a planet that defies science, considering it is a gas giant with a solid core that amounts to a mass of about four Earths. What's more, 85% of this mass is self-contained within the planet's gassy atmosphere. As a gas giant this is peculiar, since previously it was believed that for a planet to be considered a gas giant, it needed to have a solid core of a minimum of ten Earth masses to attract gas.
Although this is odd and has changed how scientists evaluate gas giant planets, it is not the only weird thing about WASP-107b. The weirdest element of this planet is its extremely squishy low density atmosphere, which scientists liken to a marshmallow, which is why they call it the cotton candy “super puff” planet. The density is so thick that wading through it would be like walking through a sticky marshmallow.
So weird?
