Scientists have discovered a terrifying alien planet that, while it may look like Earth, conceals some deadly conditions that have led NASA to describe it as a “nightmare world”.
The giant exoplanet – 11% bigger than Jupiter – has winds that reach up to 5,400 mph, around seven times the speed of sound, and has temperatures ranging from 919 to 1,220C.
What’s more, this alien world named HD 189733 b – appears to “rain glass”, according to NASA.
Describing it as the “killer you never see coming,” NASA said: “To the human eye, this far-off planet looks bright blue. But any space traveller confusing it with the friendly skies of Earth would be badly mistaken.
“The weather on this world is deadly.”
HD 189733 b is a giant gas exoplanet in the faint Vulpecula constellation in the northern sky, which lies approximately 64.5 light-years (19.8 parsecs) away from our Solar System.
While our planet takes 365 days to circle the sun, a year on HD 189733 b takes just 2.2 days, with an orbital speed of 340,000 mph.
Since its discovery in 2005 by French astronomers who saw it transit across its star’s face—HD 189733—it has been the subject of close atmospheric observation.
If anyone were able to survive the scorching conditions and brutal winds, visitors would undoubtedly be killed by its deadly rain – molten glass.
“Getting caught in the rain on this planet is more than an inconvenience; it’s death by a thousand cuts,” NASA said. “This scorching alien world possibly rains glass – sideways – in its howling winds.”
Researchers discovered that its overall colour is a deep blue. While Earth’s blue colour comes from the reflection of our oceans, HD 189733 b’s is determined by a “hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing high clouds laced with silicate particles”.
Exoplanets – those located outside our Solar System – have been incredibly difficult to spot as they are usually concealed by the brightness of their star. NASA’s Kepler telescope was launched into orbit with the purpose of finding Earth-sized exoplanets that might support life.
So far, over 5,500 have been discovered and more missions are in the works to find more.
HD 189733 b, along with HD 209458 b (in the Pegasus constellation), were the first two planets to be directly spectroscopically observed – a way to study the interaction between light and matter by splitting light into its different wavelengths to determine its physical properties.
This planet is thought to be tidally locked to its parent star, meaning it has a permanent day and night.
Observations using the Spitzer telescope concluded that there is solid evidence for significant amounts of water vapour in the planet’s atmosphere. Follow-up observations using the Hubble telescope confirmed the presence of water vapour, neutral oxygen, carbon monoxide and methane – the latter of which has left scientists baffled.
It is currently unknown how methane originated, as the planet’s incredibly high temperature should cause the water and methane to react, replacing the atmosphere with carbon monoxide.
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