Every now and then, scientists are discovering unknown planets in the space. Yesterday we reported that scientists have discovered a giant alien planet which is 11 times bigger than Jupiter. Until now, scientists have discovered enormous alien planets. Lets have a look on most amazing ten of those.
1) Kepler-10b – Smallest Exoplanet
Kepler-10b, discovered by NASA, is called the “smallest exoplanet.” It is located about 560 light-years away and is 1.4 times larger than Earth. This is the very first unquestionably rocky planet that is orbiting a star outside our solar system. Kepler-10b orbits its parent star once every 0.84 days. The star’s age is estimated to be 8 billion years old.
2) TrES-4 – Large Strange Planet
TrES-4 is such a large planet which scientists say should not even exist theoretically. It is one of the strangest planets ever discovered. This planet is located about 1,400 light years away from Earth and is about 1.7 times the size of Jupiter. Its density is only about 0.2 grams per cubic centimeter.
3) CoRoT-7b – Super-Earth
CoRoT-7b is a so-called “Super-Earth” planet that is orbiting a star about 480 light-years from Earth. This planet weighs 5 times the mass of Earth and not quite two times the Earth’s radius. CoRoT-7b orbits just 1.6 million miles (2.5 million km) out from its parent star. This close proximity sends temperatures on the star-facing side of the planet up to a hellish 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius). The far side of the planet is always in shadow, and temperatures there dip down as low as minus 350 F (minus 210 C).
4) OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b – Coldest Planet
OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b is a ‘super-Earth’ extrasolar planet orbiting the star OGLE-2005-BLG-390L, which is situated 21,500 ± 3,300 light years away from Earth. The planet does not appear to meet conditions presumed necessary to support life as it has a surface temperature of -364 degrees Fahrenheit (-220 degrees Celsius). Therefore, the planet is called the “coldest” planet in space. This planet is about 5.5 times as massive as Earth. It orbits a red dwarf star about 28,000 light-years away, making it the most distant exoplanet currently known.
5) WASP-12b – Hottest Planet
WASP-12b is called the “hottest” planet (as it has a surface temperature of about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2,200 degrees Celsius. The planet orbits its star closer than any other known world. It orbits its star one every Earth day at a distance of about 2 million miles (3.4 million km). WASP-12b is a gaseous planet, about 1.5 times the mass of Jupiter, and almost twice the size. It is 870 light-years from Earth.
6) GJ 1214b – Another Super Earth
GJ 1214b is “super-Earth” exoplanet. It was first discovered in 2009. However, this planet is larger than our home planet but smaller than gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. It orbits a star 40 light-years from Earth. This alien planet has a radius 2.5 times the size of Earth’s and has about 6.5 times the mass.
7) 51 Pegasi B – First Discovered Exoplanet
51 Pegasi B is the very first discovered exoplanet. This planet is 12.7 billion years old which formed more than 8 billion years before Earth and only 2 billion years after the Big Bang. It is 50 light-years away.
8) HAT-P-1 – Lightest Planet
HAT-P-1 is about half as massive as Jupiter but about 1.76 times wider-or 24 percent larger than predicted by theory. This planet has one-quarter the density of water. This planet is “lighter than a ball of cork.” The planet’s parent star is 450-light-years away.
9) HAT-P-11b – Hot & Large Planet
HAT-P-11b is the 11th extrasolar planet found by HATNet. This planet is 4.7 times the size of Earth and has 25 Earth masses. This planet orbits very close to its star, revolving once every 4.88 days. As a result, it is baked to a temperature of around 1100 degrees F. The star itself is about three-fourths the size of our Sun and somewhat cooler.
10) XO-3b – Odd Orbit
Most known planets orbit in the same plane, one that corresponds to a star’s equator. But the orbit of exoplanet XO-3b is tilted about 37 degrees from the star’s equator. The planet was discovered in 2007. XO-3b has about 11.79 times the mass of Jupiter, and an orbit around its parent star in about 3.2 days. The radius of this planet is 1.217 times that of Jupiter.
Bonus – GJ 1214b – 2nd Smallest Exoplanet
GJ 1214b was discovered in December 2009. This planet is about 40 light-years away and orbits a red dwarf star. The planet is about 3 times the size of Earth and about 6.5 times as massive. In fact, it is the second smallest planet discovered outside of our solar system to date.
Thanks To: Space
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