This extremely intense planet is basically hell

[Mike Wehner]

• Astronomers have spotted a distant exoplanet that is so incredibly extreme, life as we know it wouldn't last there for a second.
• Temperatures of over 3,000C, oceans of lava, and supersonic winds terrorize the planet's surface, while the intense heat vaporizes rock that then rains down from above.
• The planet is tidally locked to its star, and its night side temperatures dip below 200C.

In recent years we've learned a lot about exoplanets — planets that exist outside of our own solar system — thanks to increasingly powerful telescope technology. We've spotted planets that are frosty cold and others that are super-hot balls of gas. Now, researchers have spotted one that is about as hostile as you can imagine.

In a new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers describe the planet known as K2-141b, a rocky world roughly the size of Earth that is covered in lava, but that's not the only reason you wouldn't want to visit. The planet also boasts rocks that rain down from above and even winds that move at supersonic speeds. Yeah, it's pretty gnarly.

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This extremely intense planet is basically hell originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 5 Nov 2020 at 00:32:08 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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