Scientists Detect Unfamiliar Planet that Rains Iron

An artist's impression shows a unique type of exoplanet discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope.Reuters/Nasa Handout
An artist's impression shows a unique type of exoplanet discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope.Reuters/Nasa Handout
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Scientists Detect Unfamiliar Planet that Rains Iron

An artist's impression shows a unique type of exoplanet discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope.Reuters/Nasa Handout
An artist's impression shows a unique type of exoplanet discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope.Reuters/Nasa Handout

Scientists have detected an exotic planet in another solar system where the weather forecast is always dire - a 100 percent chance of the most outrageous rain imaginable, with droplets of hot liquid iron.

The researchers said on Wednesday they used the planet-hunting ESPRESSO instrument on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile to observe a planet called WASP-76b located about 640 light years from Earth.

It is nearly twice the size of Jupiter, our solar system's largest planet.

Planets discovered outside our solar system are called exoplanets, and WASP-76b is one of the most extreme in terms of climate and chemistry. It is a member of a family of exoplanets spotted in recent years called ultra-hot gas giants, Reuters reported.

It resides outstandingly close to its star, which is almost twice as big as the sun. WASP-76b orbits at only three times the radius of that star, much closer than our solar system's innermost planet Mercury orbits the sun. The same side of WASP-76b always faces its star, much as the same side of our moon always faces Earth.

The planet receives 4,000 times the solar radiation that earth gets from the sun, and its dayside temperature reaches 2,400 degrees Celsius. This ferocious heat vaporizes metals present in the planet, with strong winds then carrying iron vapor to the planet's cooler night side where it condenses into liquid iron droplets.

Molten iron rain may be a unique feature of these ultra-hot exoplanets, according to University of Geneva astronomer David Ehrenreich, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature.

"The extreme atmospheric conditions met in WASP-76b and its siblings, other ultra-hot gas giants, are not found anywhere in our solar system. Therefore, these exotic objects are unique laboratories to crash-test our climate models and understand the most extreme forms of atmospheric evolution," Ehrenreich said.



AlUla to Host Milky Way Stargazing Event at Arch Rock Next Week 

The Arch Rock will host the event as part of a series of year-round activities designed to deepen community awareness of astronomy. (SPA)
The Arch Rock will host the event as part of a series of year-round activities designed to deepen community awareness of astronomy. (SPA)
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AlUla to Host Milky Way Stargazing Event at Arch Rock Next Week 

The Arch Rock will host the event as part of a series of year-round activities designed to deepen community awareness of astronomy. (SPA)
The Arch Rock will host the event as part of a series of year-round activities designed to deepen community awareness of astronomy. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s AlUla Manara team is organizing a stargazing event that examines AlUla wonders on Monday evening, observing the Milky Way during one of the best viewing periods of the month.

The iconic The Arch Rock will host the event as part of a series of year-round activities designed to deepen community awareness of astronomy.

The gathering will engage AlUla residents, visitors, astronomy enthusiasts, and space researchers in an interactive experience that includes field observation sessions and scientific discussions led by members of the AlUla Astronomy Club. Such initiatives contribute to fostering a scientific culture and encouraging community interest in cosmic discoveries.

Participants will have the opportunity to witness the Milky Way firsthand, along with tracking various astronomical phenomena such as meteor showers and observing the North Star. The event promises a captivating visual experience in a natural setting free from light pollution, blending contemplation with the joy of stargazing.

The initiative is part of the efforts of the AlUla Manara team to support educational pathways and scientific experiences, while promoting community events related to science and discovery, in line with the goals of Vision 2030 for innovation and diversification of cultural and tourism experiences.