A hostile blue planet with raining glass! Yes, we are about to go through HD189733b Planet Facts. Sit tight!
If we say, ‘there is a blue planet out there’, what will be the first thought to cross your mind? Probably, you will think of it as a second Earth or at least an Earth-like planet that can possibly be inhabited. Think again!
We are sure talking of a blue planet, but is far from being hospitable. Let us take a closer look at this blue orb and find out why is it hostile through this article titled 19 interesting HD189733b planet facts.
Interesting HD189733b Planet Facts: 1-5
1. This blue planet named HD189733b sits at a distance of 63 light years from our home orb.
2. Just because HD189733b is blue, it doesn’t mean it has to be habitable. In fact, it is actually a gas giant (like Jupiter or Saturn or other gaseous planets in our very own solar system).
3. This planet is pretty close to its host star which goes by the name HD189733.
4. The planet is so close to its star that during daytime, it surface temperature reaches as high as 930°C or 1,700°F.
5. This exoplanet has a size similar to that of Jupiter. It is also as large as Jupiter. Combined its size, its gaseous composition and its hot surface, scientists call it as hot-Jupiter. It is not the only hot-Jupiter out there in our known universe. There are similar other planets as well, which are also known by the same generic name.
Interesting HD189733b Planet Facts: 6-10
6. According to scientists, the HD189733b registers wind speeds of 7,000 kilometers an hour or 4,350 miles an hour.
7. So, a gaseous planet with extremely high surface temperatures and wind speeds that no one on our planet Earth has ever experience – there is absolutely no doubt that this planet is not a habitable one at all.
8. What really takes its hostility to demonic levels is its rain of glass. Hell yes! You read it right. There is no water rain or snowfall on that planet. What pours down as rain is hot molten glass.
9. Scientists say that the atmosphere of this exotic planet is riddled with glassy silicate particles which melt because of the extreme heat and then fall down in form of rain at extremely high speed.
10. The planet was first discovered during the mid 90’s. Due to lack of technological advancements, all that was visible was a pale blue dot.
Interesting HD189733b Planet Facts: 11-15
11. In 2013 however, the legendary Hubble Space Telescope managed to photograph the planet properly and the color of the planet was determined by comparing the light from the star and the light reflected by the planet and it turned out that the planet’s color was “azure blue”.
12. Astronomers figured out that the planet has no oceans that can reflect blue light, and hence, they came up with the theory that it is the suspended silicate particles of the atmosphere that reflects the blue light and makes the planet look blue.
13. New observations were made about the planet which revealed that the planet’s atmosphere is much larger than what was actually expected earlier. This unusual observation actually makes the planet worthy enough for further study.
14. The closeness of HD189733b is what really puzzles scientists. The conventional theories of planetary formation state that rocky planets orbit closer to their stars while the gaseous giants are located farther out. HD189733b defies this theory. In fact every hot-Jupiter that has been discovered till date defies conventional theories.
15. HD189733b orbits its star 13 times closer than the distance between Mercury and our Sun.
Interesting HD189733b Planet Facts: 16-19
16. On the night side the temperature of the planet is 1,200°F.
17. Many astronomers believe that the planet is so close to its star that its outer atmosphere is actually boiling away.
18. Astronomers estimate that the HD189733b is losing mass at the rate of 100 million to 600 million kilograms of mass every second.
19. Scientists assume that solar radiation blasts hit the planet nearly at point blank range which causes auroras which wrap the whole planet from one pole to another, and that the brightness of such auroras is way higher than any northern lights we see on our home planet.