Scientist Find a Super Planet with Oceans of Molten Lava
JULIE ROUSSY, MCGILL GRAPHIC DESIGN AND GETTY IMAGES
K2-141b, this is the name of the planet where it rains rocks, the oceans are made of lava, and there are supersonic winds. Thankfully this planet is 202 light-years away. This planet is orbiting a star so closely that one year takes roughly 7 hours! K2-141b is located in the constellation of Aquarius. It is one of two planets in this star system. Living here would be impossible! Scientists believe that 2/3 of the planet faces the light. On the dark side, it is believed to be around -200 C and about 3,000 C on the light side. Scientists used computers to run simulations predicting the conditions on the planet. They found wind speeds on the planet over 3,000 mph. Also, it is so hot on this planet that rock can evaporate and eventually precipitate, just like the water cycle on earth! While it is supposed to be a much slower process than the water cycle on earth, it seems crazy that it rains rocks. We don’t know all that much about this planet, but it is an interesting discovery.
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