May 4, 2024

AndronETalksNews

AndronETalksNews

NASA’s Hubble Spots a Heavy Metal Jupiter Where It Rains Liquid Gems

C/Net

By Jackson Ryan

 

The exoplanet WASP-121b, which resides about 900 light-years from Earth, is an egg-shaped scorcher. Temperatures on the planet’s day side can reach up to 4,600 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s so hot that heavy metal elements, like iron and magnesium, exist as gases and are constantly streaming out of the atmosphere and into space.

But the planet’s night side has, until now, remained in the dark (sorry).