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There is an exoplanet in space and it is a real nightmare. It orbits its sun once every 111 days, and its strangely elliptical orbit brings it precariously close to its host sun, resulting in temperature fluctuations of up to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, effectively roasting the planet each time it orbits the star.
Say hello to HD 80606 b, an exoplanet about four times the size of Jupiter and arguably one of the most terrifying planets in the universe. The planet is known as a “hot Jupiter,” a nickname for gaseous planets like Jupiter that are very close to their host star, making the planet unusually hot.
HD 80606 B Can Subject of study Via NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope for its interesting properties, a responsibility assumed by Spitzer Space Telescope. An orbit of 111 days is nothing to write home about Some of the orbits of hot Jupiter Their planet within a few days or weeks. What makes HD 80606 b special is its highly irregular, elliptical orbit that brings it shockingly close to its star before being launched back into space.
The idea is that this planet’s unusual orbit exposes it to changes in properties that would take much longer to observe on other exoplanets, and NASA can use the data to apply what it finds to other hot Jupiters in the larger universe.
“Spitzer has done amazing work on this exoplanet, and now Webb is building on that legacy by enabling us to drill down to discern specific chemical signatures like methane and carbon dioxide, which is just amazing progress,” study co-author Ryan Challner said in a post on his blog. “There’s a lot to learn from this data set here — we’re only just beginning to decipher what Webb has to tell us.”
HD 80606 b is special, and NASA created a printable horror movie poster to show just how terrifying this planet is.
Roasted exoplanet
The temperature fluctuations on HD 80606 b are so large that NASA dubbed it a “roasted exoplanet” and even made it a Printable movie poster Imagine the hellish conditions the planet goes through over the course of its orbit. Due to extreme temperature fluctuations, the planet is exposed to truly strange and harsh weather, which is monitored by the James Webb Space Telescope and studied by scientists.
Laura C said: Mayorga, an exoplanet astronomer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, wrote in a blog post: “Observing a planet like HD 80606 b is actually very efficient because its unusual orbit, with corresponding fluctuations in temperature and chemical composition, allows us to collect data under different conditions in just hours and apply these results to other hot Jupiters or more conventional exoplanets.”
The planet’s weather includes supersonic winds, shock storms that fly around the planet at the speed of sound, and surface temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The atmosphere literally boils during this time, causing chemical changes and cloud development that the James Webb Space Telescope can monitor in real time.
