From one of the coldest places in the Universe to a potential future home for humanity, here
are 9 of the Universe’s most uninhabitable planets
Number 9 Hoth Nicknamed Hoth, after the fictional planet
in Star Wars, OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb is located near the center of the Milky Way. It’s one
of the coldest and most distant planets known in our galaxy. What makes Hoth notable is
how far it’s located from its star, with an orbital period of approximately 10 years.
The planet doesn’t appear to meet the necessary attributes for sustaining life. This is mainly
because of its extreme surface temperature, which reaches about -370 Fahrenheit. This
is roughly four times lower than the lowest surface temperature ever detected on Earth.
Breathing, in such an environment, would destroy our lungs and bring about instant death.
Number 8 Kepler-1b Kepler-1b, like Hoth, is an exoplanet, meaning
that it’s located outside our Solar System. The most notable aspect about Kepler-1b is
that it reflects less than one percent of the light that hits it. It’s the darkest
known exoplanet and the reason for that is still a mystery. One theory is that it’s
due to the absence of reflective clouds, like those that make Jupiter so bright. Another
theory is that there are light-absorbing chemicals, like vaporized potassium or sodium, in its
atmosphere. Whatever the case may be, Kepler-1b is unhospitable because of the high proximity
to its parent star and the scorching surface temperature.
Before we move on, answer this question. What does it sometimes rain on Saturn? Is it
a. Molten metal b. Glass
c. Sulphuric Acid d. Diamonds
Let us know what you think in the comments section below and stay tuned to find out the
right answer. Number 7 Jupiter
The fact that we’re familiar with it doesn’t make Jupiter any less terrifying. It’s a
gas giant, meaning that it lacks a well-defined solid surface. Rapid rotation is what gives
the planet its somewhat spherical shape. One of Jupiter’s scariest features is something
called the Great Red Spot. It’s a hurricane, wider than the Earth in diameter, that’s
been observed for hundreds of years. This is the largest storm in the Solar System.
It’s not, however, the only storm on Jupiter. Others rage throughout the planet, with winds
of over 400 miles per hour and enormous lightning bolts, 100 times brighter than those on Earth.
At greater depths, hydrogen, which accounts for most of Jupiter’s composition, turns
into a liquid metal due to a combination of pressure and heat. A deep layer of liquid
metal hydrogen, combined with the planet’s rapid rotation, creates an enormous magnetic
field. Because of its immense gravity well, Jupiter has been described as the solar systems
vacuum cleaner. The planet is constantly bombarded with comets, more so than any other planet
in the Solar System. Number 6 HD 189733 b
Located about 64.5 light years from our Solar System, HD 189733 b is known as a hot Jupiter.
These planets are physically similar to Jupiter but have a much shorter orbital period, usually
of less than ten days. The proximity to the star they orbit also means that surface temperatures
are extremely elevated. The planet’s color has been determined as being deep blue, the
result of light-reflecting silicate particles in its atmosphere. Because of the planet’s
temperature, the particles are believed to condense and form glass. The glass is swept
through the atmosphere by winds of up to seven times the speed of sound. The particles are
still incredibly hot, making HD 189733 b a hellish planet, where it rains molten glass
at a sideways angle.
Number 5 KELT-9b KELT-9b is, simply put, one of the hottest
planets in the known universe. The temperature of its atmosphere is so high that elements,
which are normally bound in molecules, can exist as a singular atomic species. This includes
singly ionized iron and singly ionized titanium. The planet’s atmosphere mainly consists
of hydrogen and it’s slowly being consumed by the planet’s parent star. With a surface
temperature in excess of 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit, KELT-9b is hotter than most stars with a lower
mass than that of our Sun. If a human being somehow made it to the surface, they would
be incinerated and disintegrated at the same time.
Number 4 Gliese 436 b Gliese 436 b is known as “the planet of
burning ice”. It’s located very close to its orbiting star, at about 2.5 million
miles. The immense gravitational force from the planet’s core keeps water from evaporating,
despite a surface temperature of roughly 822 degrees Fahrenheit. The state of the water
on this planet is known as Ice VII, a crystalline form of ice that has also been manufactured
in laboratories on Earth. Just like carbon turns to diamond, with the proper temperature
and pressure, so does water on Gliese 436 b turn to “burning ice”. Naturally, the
blazing sphere of ice baffled scientists when it was first examined in the mid-2000s. The
mysteries don’t end here. The methane content expected on such a planet is 7,000 times lower
while carbon monoxide is abundant, even though it begins to form at about 1652 degrees Fahrenheit.
Number 3 PSR J1719−1438 b Due to the force of gravity, the closer a
planet is to its star, the faster it moves. From that perspective, this is one of the
fastest planets in the known Universe. PSR J1719-1438 b orbits its host star so closely
that its entire orbit could fit into our Sun. It completes its cycle in a little over 2
hours and at a distance of roughly 400,000 miles from its star. At the time of its discovery,
in 2011, it was the densest planet ever known. Because of the intense pressures acting upon
it, the planet is believed to be largely composed of crystalline carbon, just like diamonds.
It’s the same pressure that would obliterate anyone foolish enough to walk on its surface.
So, what does it rain on Saturn sometimes? The right answer was d, diamonds. In the planet’s
upper atmosphere, lightning storms turn methane into soot. As it falls for thousands of miles,
the intense temperature and pressure gradually turns the soot into graphite and then diamonds.
The diamond hail stones ultimately liquefy into a sea of carbon as they reach the planet’s
hotter core. Number 2 Venus
Venus is undoubtedly one of the deadliest planets in our Solar System. Its surface is
filled with volcanoes that release huge amounts of heat and carbon dioxide. The thick clouds
that Venus is shrouded in are mainly made up of sulfuric acid. They prevent sunlight
from reaching the planet’s surface and trap carbon dioxide. Temperatures reach close to
870 degree Fahrenheit, making it by far the hottest planet in our Solar System. Unlike
many other terrestrial planets, even Venus’ poles are smoldering. Rainfall is composed
of deadly sulphuric acid but, because of the intense heat, it never reaches the surface.
It only forms more acid clouds. The atmospheric pressure at surface level is 92 times that
of Earth. It’s the rough equivalent of what you’d experience at a depth of 3,000 feet
underwater. Number 1 Mars
Named after the Roman god of war, Mars is a planet that’s earned a major spot in our
collective imagination. It’s the only planet on our list that might be colonized, at some
point in the future. For the time being, however, Mars is highly unhospitable and presents several
challenges to human life. The Red Planet’s low atmospheric pressure prevents liquid water
from existing across large regions for extended periods. Water is essential for our survival
and for life, as we know it, to thrive. Mars doesn’t have a magnetosphere which, combined
with the thin atmosphere, means that humans would be exposed to high levels of radiation
on its surface. They also wouldn’t be able to breathe without proper equipment, since
the atmosphere is about 95 percent carbon dioxide. Mars has the largest and most violent
dust storms in the Solar System, with wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour. They can
strike a small area or cover the entire planet. Gravity at the surface is only 38% that of
Earth, which would weaken bones and muscles as well as cause cardiovascular problems for
potential colonists. These are only a few of the issues that must be addressed before
we can even think about inhabiting the planet. Thanks for watching! Would you rather colonize
a new planet, knowing you can never return to Earth, or fight extraterrestrials for the
preservation of life on our planet? Let us know in the comments section below!