WASP-33b, the hottest planet hotter than some stars

Astronomers involved in the project Super Wide Angle Search for Planets (SuperWASP) have discovered the hottest planet called WASP-33b. The temperature of the planet is hotter than the temperature of some stars.

The existence of the planet has been suspected since 2006, but was only confirmed in 2010 yesterday. Known, the planet is classified in this type of gas planets with masses less than 4.5 times the mass of Jupiter.

Based on observations with the William Herschel Telescope, WASP-33b temperatures reaching 3200 degrees Celsius. The temperature was hotter than a red dwarf star with a temperature 700 degrees Celsius and WASP-12b where the temperature in 2300 degrees Celsius.

One cause of the heat of the planet's temperature is the temperature of the parent star is too hot. Astronomers said the temperature of the planet's parent star is 7160 degrees Celsius, higher than the temperature of the sun is only 5600 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, another reason is the proximity distance of WASP-33b orbits the parent star. With a distance of only 7 percent of the distance Mercury-Sun, the planet seemed to be "contaminated" hot parent star.

The study of the planet led by Alexis Smith of the University of Keele in Stafordshire, England. Through this study, the astronomers also know that the planet's revolution time is very short, only 29.5 hours.

Drake Demming of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland who was not involved in the study, said, "WASP-33b could help astronomers examine the hot planetary karakteristisknya still a mystery."

Lesson to be learned for example the berorbit planet close to its star that has a layer of the atmosphere is cooler outside than inside layer. This is surprising because the planet is "heated" from the outside.

Deming said that fact could be related to the presence of carbon-based compounds that change the way the atmosphere respond to radiation. Certain chemical compounds can be formed by ultraviolet light from the star.

"It certainly would be a planet you want to see. This is a very rare opportunity to study the planet orbiting the star is super hot," said Deming in his interview with New Scientist.