Explore the Universe: 6 unusual exoplanets you won't believe exist

New Delhi, India

Our universe is full of mysteries and wonders, most of which are beyond our comprehension. Planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, are one such marvel since their discovery in the early 1990s.

Most of the exoplanets orbit other stars. However, there are some known as rogue planets, which float freely in space and are not bound to a star. NASA. so far, has discovered over 5,200 exoplanets. It is believed that about a billion remain undiscovered by mankind.

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6 Unusual exoplanets in the universe

HD 189733 b

(Photo credit: Wikimedia)

This planet appears like a calm, glassy blue marble, but in reality has turbulent weather. The surface of HD 189733 b receives molten glass rains along with supersonic winds of speed about 5,600 miles per hour. It has an extended atmosphere that captures much more radiation. The planet was discovered by NASA in 2005 and has been observed by scientists for its unique weather and atmosphere.

WASP-76b

(Photo credit: Wikimedia)

Spotted in 2013, WASP-76b is an exoplanet where it rains molten iron. One side of the planet remains exposed to the Sun, causing the temperatures to reach as high as 2,500 degrees Celsius, which can vaporise iron. The other side of the planet experiences rains of molten iron after the iron vapour is carried there by the strong winds.

Gliese 1132 b

(Photo credit: Wikimedia)

Similar to our planet in more than one way, Gliese 1132 b has its radius, mass, and even age much like the Earth. However, it orbits its dwarf star much closer and only takes about 1.6 Earth days to complete the orbit. Due to its proximity, it has a much higher temperature of about 137 degrees Celsius and experiences intense radiation, which results in high volcanic activity. The gases released create a second atmosphere around the surface.

Upsilon Andromeda b

(Photo credit: Wikimedia)

This exoplanet is tidally locked to its star and experiences temperatures as high as 1,600 degrees Celsius on its dayside. The nightside experiences cold temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. According to NASA the reason for this huge difference between the temperatures of the two sides could be the massive size of its parent star, which creates a hot spot hitting directly over it.

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Kepler-10b

(Photo credit: Wikimedia)

This exoplanet was discovered by the Kepler telescope in 2001 and tidally locked to its star, which is similar to the Sun. It has a hot surface temperature of over 1,300 degrees Celsius and it is likely covered with lava. The exoplanet also creates molten droplets of silicates and iron and experiences harsh radiation.

TOI-178 system

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This unusual planetary system looks like any other at first glance. However, at least five planets of the TOI-178 system orbit in perfect rhythmic sync with each other. The planets orbit their orange dwarf parent star in an alignment at regular intervals.

(With inputs from agencies)