Exploring Outside Our Sphere

"Hell - thankfully - Not On Earth"

It would be really hard to find an individual who has scrabbled through the vastness of outer space and our universe without experiencing a bone-chilling terror. The concept of endless, empty space, menacing black holes capable of practically erasing matter, and trillions of mysterious exoplanets floating through space can evoke a sense of awe and fear. Today, we will explore the first 3 of 6 incredible exoplanets, each resembling a hellish environment, isolated in the vastness of space, with some, even deceiving astronomers.

The first on our list is "Corot-7b", an exoplanet with a highly unusual and exotic form of precipitation. An ordinary umbrella just would not cut it on this planet, unless it were made from titanium. Corot-7b is just over 1.5 times the size of Earth, approximately 1.5 billion years old, and relatively close, residing only 489 light years away. It was discovered in 2019, and was initially considered the first rocky exoplanet resembling Earth, although it is deemed uninhabitable with zero probability of sustaining life.

The sunrise on "Corot-7b" is a dangerous event. Since the planet is 60 times closer to its star than Earth is to our Sun, this results in a sunrise 360 times brighter than what we experience on Earth. The temperature on the sunny side reaches a sweltering 4,700 degrees Fahrenheit (2,600 degrees Celsius), which causes rocks to melt and vaporize. The vaporized rock rises to the upper atmosphere, which then condenses into fine gravel during a colder front, leading to a literal rock-rain.

You're Hot and Cold!

The hellish planet is locked in position, with one side comprising of fire and Sulphur always facing the host star. Some theoretical models propose the existence of an entire lava ocean because of this, with the opposite side experiencing opposite side effects - extreme cold, with temperatures dropping to negative 390 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 235 degrees Celsius). Astronomers believe that "Corot-7b" originally formed as a gas giant, 100 times larger than Earth, gradually losing its gas membrane as it moved closer to its star, leaving behind a rocky core. The harsh conditions paint an unsettling picture, and yet, there are even more terrifying exoplanets to explore. (chills)

A Swanking Giant!

The next formidable celestial body may not boast inferno-like conditions, but it undoubtedly qualifies as a place one would never want to approach. "J140-7b" would present an insurmountable obstacle if you ever tried to reach it. You would encounter an endless belt of rock and ice. This massive gas giant, often compared to our Saturn, stands out with its colossal rings, which are a staggering 200 times wider than Saturn's rings. While Saturn has three main rings, "J140-7b" boasts an astonishing 30 rings spanning over 110 million miles. That is 20% more than the distance from Earth to our Sun (93 million miles or 1.2 astronomical units).

The scale of these rings is astonishing, they were formed through the mass destruction of a planet's satellites. The mass of "J140-7b" is a colossal celestial body whose gravity ripped apart its satellites and is estimated to be between 10 and 40 times that of our solar system's biggest planet - Jupiter. Another intriguing theory suggests that "J140-7b" might be more than a gas giant; it could be an actual protostar that never evolved into a brown dwarf. The scientific community currently grapples with the classification of such objects, particularly as "J140-7b" moves along its orbit around the host star, deviating from the mutual center of gravity seen in dual star systems.

As unbelievable as it may sound, despite their vastness, the rings of "J140-7b" have a mass of only 7.34 x 10^21 tons, a figure comparable to Earth's mass (5.9 x 10^21 tons). The history of this particular planet likely includes astonishing and frightening events, such as collisions with satellites of considerable mass. These encounters could have been the result of trace found in the planet's rings, such as large gaps. It is because of these gaps in the rings that scientists were able to discover J1407b, along with the size and position of its rings, through the 'Transit Observation' method.

Visualizing the rings of J1407b alongside Saturn's rings is a captivating sight. However, contemplating such a view also comes with the realization that it would likely cost us a jaw, because it would dropped in sheer amazement!

Solitude Aficionado

The final planet (in this segment) brings us closer to home, a mere 80 light-years from the sun, and introduces us to an object deserving the title of 'One Of the Loneliest In the Universe'. The intriguing planet - "PSO J318.5-22", (it even has weird, unique, but cool name). It distinguishes itself by not orbiting a star, instead, it falls into the unique category of rogue planets, also known as orphans or nomads. These are planets ejected from their original planetary systems, and are now left wandering aimlessly through the vastness of space.

Paradoxically, since this planet does not have a bright star, it works in favor of astronomers, as it allows them to directly observe the light emitted by "PSO J318.5-22" without interference. Surveillance, using state-of-the-art panoramic telescopes, has provided hundreds of infrared photographs, unveiling that the planet is eight times larger than Jupiter and is notably brighter. Observations of changes in brightness revealed that the planet completes a full turn every five hours and vaunts several layers of thick and thin clouds, with a temperature around 1470 degrees Fahrenheit (798.8889 degrees Celsius).

A group of astronomers, utilizing the New Technology Telescope at the "European Southern Observatory" in Chile, managed to create one of the first somewhat accurate weather forecasts for a celestial body beyond our solar system. The forecast for "PSO J318.5-22" is anticipated to be a cloudy but warm day, giving prominence to dust storms with speeds several times that of sound, and the possibility of precipitation in the form of molten iron rain.

So, What's The Consensus Then?

The estimated age of the planet is around 12 million years. The formation of such rogue planets remains a mystery to scientists, who theorize that these objects may be ineffective stars, gas giants multiple times the size of Jupiter, or planets disgorged from young planetary systems after interactions with that planets gravitational force severed them from their original gravitational influence. The ejected planets become cosmic drifters, wandering through space until captured by the gravitational field of another star system. That is the hypothesized, but very compelling theory of course!

However, the classification of "PSO J318.5-22" and similar planets poses a challenge. While some scientists refer to them as sub-brown dwarfs, implying a transitional state between a star and a planet, the gas giant classification we know might not entirely fit. The study of rogue planets is still in its early stages, and scientists anticipate discovering more about the fascinating properties of these interstellar wanderers in the future.

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