The solar system as we know it is not only home to our eight main planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; but outer space is much more extensive than we've ever imagined. There are about 3,875 planetary systems, and among those systems live many extrasolar planets. An extrasolar or exoplanet planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917. Thousands of extrasolar planets have been discovered since then, leaving many space lovers to wonder; "Are there any other planets like earth?". According to astronomers, here are some of the most "habitable" extrasolar planets.
Proxima Cen b [4 Light Years], Kapteyn b*[13 Light Years], GJ 66 Cc [22 Light Years], GJ 667 Cf* [22 Light Years], GJ 667 Ce* [22 Light Years], TRAPPIST-1 e [39 Light Years], TRAPPIST- 1 f [39 Light Years], TRAPPIST-1 g [39 Light Years], LHS 1140 b [41 Light Years], Kepler-186 f [561 Light Years] Kepler-1229 b [770 Light Years], Kepler-1652 b [822 Light Years] Kepler-442 b [1115 Light Years] and last but not least Kepler-62 f [1200 Light Years].
Here are a few popular extrasolar planets that were featured on an extrasolar planets poster.
There are 5,246 confirmed exoplanets in 3,875 planetary systems, with 842 systems having more than one planet. Most of these were discovered by the Kepler space telescope.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Meet The extrasolar planet TrES-2 b.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle
TrES-2 b is also one of the many extrasolar planets outside of our solar system. TrES-2 b is a Gas Giant which means It is not sustainable for human life as it houses natural carbons, active volcanoes, and active fires. TrES-2 b has an extremely hot core, so much so that astronomers hypothesize this eerie planet has a red glow radiating from its atmosphere. If that didn't wow you get a load of this: TrES-2 b is such a dark planet It only reflects 1% of the light that hits it! Making it blacker than coal or any planet or moon in our solar system. That is incredibly dark.
Astronomers also say life on this planet would be like- Flying blind, through air- that is as hot as lava, In total darkness. Now that's what we call
"A Nightmare on Tres-2 b street".
What makes this extrasolar planet so much eerier is, If this planet is made up of active volcanoes and fires... Why is it still so dark? Much to think about.
Shown above is an artist's conception of what TrES-2 b looks like. Below is a hypothetical, 360-Degree visualization of what scientists and astronomers at NASA deemed this dark exoplanet to look like:
