ALBAWABA - Astronomers have discovered a distant planet that appears to belong to an entirely new class of liquid planets, according to a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
The planet, called L98-59d, is located about 35 light-years from Earth and is roughly 1.6 times the size of Earth. It orbits a small red dwarf star.
Scientists initially believed the planet might have an ocean of liquid water, but recent analyses have revealed that its composition is radically different from any previously known planet.
"The whole thing is like a molten mixture," says Dr. Harrison Nicholls, an astronomer at Oxford University. "The planet's core is likely also molten."
Liquid planet. (Shutterstock)
Can humans live on a liquid planet?
The planet's surface temperature reaches about 1,900 degrees Celsius, and massive waves are created in its lava ocean by the tidal forces of neighboring planets. The atmosphere is filled with a strong sulfur odor due to hydrogen sulfide gas.
The answer is no, these conditions make the planet unsuitable for regular life.
Scientists are using the James Webb Space Telescope to measure the gases in the planet's atmosphere by analyzing starlight passing through it.
