Astronomers at Ohio State University have discovered a large planet named KELT-9b, which is nearly three times the size of Jupiter and believed to be the hottest exoplanet ever identified. KELT-9b is so close to its star, KELT-9, that temperatures on the orbiting planet reach more than 7,800 degrees Fahrenheit (4,300 degrees Celsius). That level of unimaginable heat means that life-supporting molecules such as water and carbon dioxide cannot exist.
Smaller and smaller every day:
- Astronomers say that the planet receives such fierce radiation that it may eventually evaporate completely. They calculate that UV rays may be vaporizing more than 10 million tons of material every second.
- If the planet is reduced to its core, KELT-9b’s remnants may still continue to orbit the star, just as barren Mercury still orbits around our Sun.
- Astronomers observed the far-away planet using robotic telescopes in Arizona and South Africa. The study was published in the journal Nature.