Distant planet with iron raindrops found (clouds and fog made of molten iron)

CNN ^

[spetznaz]

SEATTLE (AP) -- Using a new technique that will be used to search for Earthlike planets, astronomers have found a distant extrasolar planet, a bizarre place of torrid heat, with clouds and raindrops made of iron.

A team from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics found the planet orbiting a star 5,000 light years away by detecting the slight dimming of light caused as the planet moved between the star and telescopes on Earth.

The sophisticated technique was compared to spotting the shadow cast by a mosquito flying in front of a searchlight two hundred miles away.

Because it is so close to its star, the new planet is thought to have an atmospheric temperature of about 3,100 degrees F, enough to vaporize most metals.

"This is the hottest planet that we know about," said Sasselov. "It is hot enough to have an iron fog and to rain hot iron droplets."

He said the new planet would be a place of violence, with a powerful jet stream whipping the clouds and loosing showers of molten iron.

[spetznaz]

I can see the advert now: If you need to get a tan in seconds visit planet Gehenna (branding by hot iron droplets included for free).

With all seriousness this place seems to be the horrid nightmare of Dante's inferno! Fog of molten gaseous iron, and rainstorms of molten metal!

Ay yi yi caramba!

[spetznaz]

Getting hot over there!

[Aracelis]

Not-a-good-vacation-spot ping

[Bahbah]

Raindrops keep falling on my head, tra la la. Ouch.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Super fast streams of hot air....inhospitable to human life...barren...

Planet Hillary has been discovered.

[concerned about politics]

clouds and raindrops made of iron.

A visit would require one hell of a strong embrella. Seriesly.

[ModelBreaker]

I hear it's nice in January.

[Mr. Bird]

You know, it's not so much the heat as it is the molten iron boring through my skull.

[Mr. Bird]

The worst part about visiting is that jackass cousin of mine: "Is it hot enough for ya?"

[Dead Dog]

And a net for the Iron Butterflys.

[Dead Dog]

Butterflies

[JoeSixPack1]

It's the humidity!

Or did they find Hell?

[FormerRep]

I hate articles full of psuedo-scientific conjecture. The premise leaves the foregone conclusion that iron rain was seen. This is complete and utter non-sense. They can't just say - 'WOW We found a planet!" They have to pile on with some imaginary details to try to make it interesting to the general public. What a lot of Rot. Bravo on the discovery - boo on the BS.

[fivecatsandadog]

"...hot enough to have an iron fog and to rain hot iron droplets.... a place of violence, with a powerful jet stream whipping the clouds and loosing showers of molten iron."

Sounds like Detroit in August.

[Larry Lucido]

Al Gore adds: The planet had previously hosted a vibrant civilization, but unfortunately they couldn't end their love affair with their SUVs.

[B Knotts]

A guy could make good money selling ice cream on that planet.

[rudehost]

And in other news. 3000 leading environmental scientists project that if Kyoto isn't implemented and republicans booted out of office the earth will look like this is 3-6 months

They based the projections on new computer models that suggested that people weren't afraid of the predictions of their old computer models.

[riversarewet]

If they would have just gave up on their SUVs...