Posted on: July 12, 2023: 07:57 AM GST Last updated: July 12, 2023: 08:38 AM GST
About 3 years ago, scientists discovered a strange planet outside the solar system, very hot and slightly larger than Neptune, orbiting a sun-like star every 19 hours.
And astronomers concluded that clouds of metal vapor are the reason why the “most reflective” planet gets the title “the largest mirror in the universe,” according to the scientific “Space” website.
The planet, called LTT9779 b, is located about 264 light-years from Earth, is five times larger, and reflects about 80% of the light that shines on it from its parent star.
By comparison, Earth reflects only 30% of the sun’s rays, and Venus, the brightest planet in our solar system, reflects only 75%.
The planet’s great reflective ability is due to the dense metal clouds that surround it and “rain drops of titanium,” according to the site.
The planet was discovered for the first time by a NASA satellite in 2020, but its outer surroundings were not understood until after data sent by a European Space Agency spacecraft.
The surface temperature of the planet is about two thousand degrees Celsius.
The research team believes that LTT9779 b obtained its metallic clouds and high albedo when its atmosphere was saturated with silicates and metal vapor due to the perpetually scorching temperatures on the side of the planet opposite its sun.
