Exoplanet orbits its star in 8.5 hours
Exoplanet Kepler 78b has one of the shortest orbital periods ever detected. Photo courtesy of Christina Sanchis Ojeda
Researchers at the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet (or extrasolar planet – a planet outside the solar system) named Kepler 78b that whips around its host star in 8.5 hours. This is one of the shortest orbital periods ever detected.
Scientists have estimated the planet's surface temperature to be more than 2 700 degrees Celsius. In such a blazing hot environment, “the top layer of the planet is likely completely melted, creating a massive roiling ocean of lava”.
Source: Popular Mechanics
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