Our Universe is immense, therefore, knowledge in the field of cosmic bodies is expanding every day. Did you know that in space there are extended clouds that have a specific smell of alcohol (rum) or raspberry?
Until now, only the planets of the Solar System have been sufficiently studied, although even they have many differences among themselves. That's just the knowledge of the average student does not go further than this system, which is a pity, because other planets hide a lot of amazing facts, and, perhaps, one day we will even find an alternative life.
Let's get acquainted today with the 10 mysterious planets of our Universe, which were discovered in recent decades and are still actively studied by scientists.
10. Hell planet
We start the review from a planet from Hell - that’s such a not entirely optimistic name. It is located at a distance of about two dozen light years from us. By many parameters, including dimensions and orbit, the planet resembles our Earth, which is why scientists are so interested. Theoretically, people could master its land, only hellish conditions do not allow it, because the average temperature on the planet reaches + 40 ° C, while on ours it fluctuates around +17. The hellish temperature of the surface results from the fact that it faces the red dwarf. If a person is in the illuminated area of the cosmic body, then it will burn out in a matter of seconds, and in the darkened, on the contrary, it will freeze.
9. The blackest planet
The giant, reaching the size of Jupiter, is a gas conglomerate. It revolves around one of the large stars, which in size resembles our Sun. The black planet is located at a distance of as much as 750 light years and is characterized by the fact that it reflects only up to 1% of the star’s light. This makes it the blackest of all planets known to science, because it is able to reflect light 4 times worse than charcoal. The surface of the cosmic body turned out to be blacker than the most saturated glossy acrylic paint. The temperature on the planet can reach almost 1000 degrees with a plus sign.
8. Planet of flaming ice
It has a romantic name in the style of “Game of Thrones”, and it is relatively “close” to us - at a distance of 33 space years in the famous constellation Leo. In size, it approaches Neptune and is still 22 times heavier than our planet, and in radius exceeds more than 4 times. Located close to the star, making a revolution in 2.64 days. This cosmic body is interesting in that it consists mainly of liquid, which when heated to 300 ° C turns into hot ice. Gravity on the planet presses water, condensing its molecules, so even high temperature does not turn it into steam, but makes it remain in a solid state of aggregation.
7. Diamond planet
The planet was first discovered only 14 years ago. It is 2 times larger than ours in size, and 8 times larger in mass due to the unique geological and chemical composition of the surface. It belongs to the class of "SuperEarth". The planet revolves around its own star, making a revolution in almost 18 hours. The main element of the surface structure is carbon, from which graphite and, of course, crystalline diamonds are mined. According to estimates, the planet is one third of the deposits of this gem. We think that many wealthy world families have already had the idea to make the first interstellar flight precisely on this space body, because a rather expensive mission will be able to pay off many, many times. By the way, the planet is located relatively close to the Earth - in 40 light years.
6. Planet Osiris
This cosmic body is “pushed back” from us to a distance of 153 light years and is located in the beautiful constellation Pegasus. According to preliminary calculations, it is one third larger than Jupiter, but the orbit is quite small - only 10 million kilometers (this is one eighth of the diameter of the orbit of Mercury). The temperature on the planet reaches 1.5 thousand degrees and in combination with great pressure creates a unique atmosphere. Osiris consists of gas clusters that overcome the gravitational field and can gain tremendous speed. Therefore, during the movement of the planet, a “tail” from gas accumulations remains behind it. Scientists have estimated that it may take trillions of years for the complete evaporation of gases from the planet’s surface and its cessation.
5. A planet with an incredibly huge system of planetary rings
It was discovered only 6 years ago, and data was released to people only in 2014. It is located at a distance of 434 light years and, according to some reports, is either a brown dwarf or a gas giant. She revolves around her own star, which is also a subgiant. It is equipped with a developed system of planetary rings similar to the one familiar to us from Saturn, only their number exceeds about a couple of hundred times. Scientists have already counted about 37 rings with radii of about 90 million km. The planet is quite young, so the ring system is a kind of "encyclopedia" for the study of satellites in gas giants.
4. Planet Methuselah
Almost 2.5 times larger than Jupiter. It is located near the 2-star system inside the constellation Scorpio, which includes a white dwarf and a pulsar. Methuselah is located far from the Earth at a distance of 12.4 thousand light years. Around his own stars, the cosmic body completes the revolution already over a century. Many believe that Methuselah is the oldest cosmic body in the entire Universe, which threatens to reorient the knowledge of astrophysicists. They have already calculated the age of Methuselah - about 12.7 billion years (that is, 3 p. Older than the Earth), and at the same time it is one billion years younger than the Universe. How can this be, because then, presumably, there were still no materials for its creation.
3. The lightest planet
Despite its impressive size, this giant of gas clusters is one of the lightest planets with an average density of 290 ± 30 kg / m³, which is significantly less than the Earth's. Removed at a distance of 450 space years. Weight is up to 60% of the weight of Jupiter, despite the fact that the diameter exceeds more than a third. Scientists speculate that this cosmic body will be able to float in a liquid if it were possible to build a suitable "reservoir".
2. The planet of stone rains
It is located almost 490 light years from our planet. It is considered super-earth with a radius that exceeds the Earth’s indicators by 1.5 times, and weight, in turn, more than 7 times. The cosmic body wraps around its own body in 20 hours. It was previously believed to be a gas giant, but a nearby star led to the evaporation of light surface elements, leaving only heavy ones, such as stones. Also, the planet is tidal blocked, because of which it is turned to the star with only one side. On it, the temperature can rise up to 4 thousand degrees, as a result of which the atmosphere of the cosmic body consists mainly of molten stone. That is, the illuminated side is a real ocean of magma, but stone rains fall on the dark.
1. The most lonely planet
This loner is located at a distance of 96 billion km from her own star, so the light reaches the surface in 89 hours (in the case of the Earth and the Sun, this figure is only 8 minutes). The space object is a gas giant, relatively young (age about 13 million years). First discovered 5 years ago in the constellation Southern Cross. Three hundred light years distant from us.
During the existence of our civilization, people have already counted several thousand exoplanets, and this number is replenished every year with new copies, which allows us to know the Universe and its mysteries.