Naked Universe of Ana

Exoplanet WASP-76b, where it rains iron

Added 2024-08-16 21:23:52 +0000 UTC

This planet, located 390 light years away in the constellation Pisces.
It has a super-hot dayside (the part of the planet facing its host star) with temperatures above 2,400 °C(but the Sun is still hotter btw, but it's a star, it should be😁), hot enough to evaporate metals. Strong winds carry the iron vapor to the cooler nightside (I don’t think I need to explain, you’re smart 😌), where it condenses into droplets of iron.

WASP-76b constantly faces its star with one side, like the Moon faces Earth. On its dayside, it receives thousands of times more radiation than Earth does from the Sun, which causes metals to evaporate.

The temperature difference between the sides causes strong winds to carry the iron vapor to the nightside, where it cools and falls as rain.

And I just attached nice pic for you(not me, another one)

Image source: Frederik Peeters/ESO