OT: Truth is stranger than science fiction- planet rains glass amid 4500 mph winds

Submitted by iawolve on

Slow summer and this stuff is pretty cool. Granted, NASA can only hypothesize what is actually going on at the surface of this planet based on what they are finding via Hubble, but the concept is pretty crazy. Reading the ennui tournament and reliving those moments made me feel like I was living in glass blowing sideways so I can relate to this.

Highlights include the following

"a gas giant with a daytime temperature of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit where it possibly rains liquid glass sideways amid 4,500 mph winds"

 

"blue color comes not from the reflection of an ocean, but rather a hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing high clouds laced with silicate particles... condensing in the heat could form very small drops of glass that scatter blue light more than red light."

 

"the planet is only 2.9 million miles from its parent star... by contrast, Mercury, the closest planet in our solar system to the sun, is 29 million miles away from the sun... day side and night side temperatures differ by about 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which should cause fierce winds to roar from the day side to the night side"

 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/11/world/space-blue-planet

1464

July 15th, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^

Great.  Fred now has an ample way to overindulge Fournette's skillset:

"He's harder to defend against than a gas giant with a daytime temperature of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit where it possibly rains liquid glass sideways amid 4,500 mph winds."

"His talents shine brighter than a planet that is only 2.9 million miles from its parent star... by contrast, Mercury, the closest planet in our solar system to the sun, is 29 million miles away from the sun..."

 

LSAClassOf2000

July 15th, 2013 at 2:47 PM ^

The Space.com article provides a little more technical detail here (HERE). 

There's also an image gallery with some renderings, but also it mentions that the Spitzer Telescope helped produce one of the first temperature maps of an exoplanet - this planet in the article actually. They even produced a handy page with the basic data (including the temperature map):

zblueman2

July 15th, 2013 at 2:53 PM ^

While I love this kind of thread (kinda a science nerd), I can't wait until the blog is talking about Michigan sports once again.  Only 47 days...

lbpeley

July 15th, 2013 at 3:11 PM ^

Spartan stadium except it's green in color and rains swirling paper and plastic in 45 mph winds.

Wolverines Dominate

July 15th, 2013 at 3:21 PM ^

I love reading about discoveries in space, especially planets. I wonder if they will ever find an Earth-like planet in my lifetime (I am 31).

JHendo

July 15th, 2013 at 4:08 PM ^

The only weather outside of our own planet that my wife cares about is on Neptune and Uranus (hehehe), because there, it rains diamonds.

Mr. Yost

July 15th, 2013 at 5:30 PM ^

Whatever happened to the days when there were 9 planets, 1 moon, 1 sun. That was it. I may even still have the model in my attic. Science always tryna stir shit up!