TRIBUNKALTIM.CO – For astronomer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) discovered a very hot planet whose one year consists of only eight hours.
This planet is also extraordinary, because it is one of the lightest planets ever found outside the solar system.
The planet, named GJ 367b, is located 31 light years from the sun, and is an example of an ultra-short period planet.
GJ 367b is so close to its star, GJ 376, that it receives 500 times more radiation than Earth receives from the sun.
GJ 367 b is also tidally locked, meaning that one side of the planet is permanently facing its star or is always experiencing daylight.
This results in a daytime temperature of around 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,482 degrees Celsius).
With these extreme temperatures, the planet GJ 367b also seems to have lost its atmosphere some time ago, according to a Newsweek report, Friday (12/3/2021).
Due to their relatively close proximity to Earth compared to other ultra-short-period planets, para astronomer found that the surface of GJ 367b is rocky with a solid core of iron and nickel.
This core extends through nearly 90 percent of the planet’s interior, similar to Mercury’s core.
“We found a planet the size of Mars that has the composition of Mercury,” said Roland Vanderspek, principal research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Also read: Could There Be Life? Another Earth-sized Planet Found
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