Football-shaped Exoplanet Discovered By NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope
In the past years, NASA sent satellites into space to find other stars and exoplanets that may or may not form solar systems in their attempt to find at least one exoplanet that bears the same characteristics as Earth and could sustain life.
Recently, the researchers have found such a planet that could have the potential to sustain life if it were to have an atmosphere. Until scientists determine whether or not the planet is eligible, our trustworthy satellites continuously make discoveries, finding some of the most bizarre exoplanets in the galaxy. Such an exoplanet is WASP-121b.
Hubble Space Telescope was the one that discovered WASP-121b, and since then astronomers have been analyzing it. To begin with, the exoplanet is one of the most hostile planets ever inspected by anyone.
The peculiarities of the football-shaped exoplanet and its sun
The temperature of its upper atmosphere was measured to reach 4,600 degrees Fahrenheit (2,537 degrees Celsius). What’s more, because it has such a hot surface, elements such as magnesium atoms and iron atoms are simply evaporated into space. This matter is believed to lead to a modification of the exoplanet’s magnetic field.
The proximity to its sun and the temperature of the planet were the leading cause the shape of the planet was distorted to resemble a football. WASP-121b has the features of Jupiter, with the difference that it is excessively hot. This is not the only planet discovered by astronomers that have the characteristics of Jupiter, but it is the only one until now that seems to be slowly devoured by its sun.
Due to the irradiation of the mighty sun, this exoplanet resembles a star. Even though the exoplanet has a destructive relationship with its sun and despite its shape, it is also an excellent subject for examination for future reference.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.
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