Astronomers have discovered a tidally locked exoplanet with an atmosphere where it rains of molten iron.
WASP-76b orbits a star in the Pisces constellation, 640 light-years from Earth, and an article on Popular Mechanics explains:
"The day side is constantly bombarded by radiation and can see temperature spikes of over 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (roughly 2,204 degress Celsius)— hot enough to split open molecules and vaporise metals like iron."However, the nightside is much cooler, about 1,482 degrees Celsius, and so when:
"...the atmospheric winds carry the vaporised iron over to the night side, they begin to condense and fall to the surface as rain."
No comments:
Post a Comment