WASP-12b

Conception of what WASP-12b may look like.

WASP-12b is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star WASP-12. It is said by NASA one of the hottest planet known, much hotter than Venus. It is extremely close to its star, about 2 million miles away from it. It is a gas giant and is bigger than Jupiter. The average temperature there can get up to 1500 degrees Celsius. For comparison, Mercury in our solar system's average temperature is around 427 degrees Celsius. WASP-12b is so close to its star, that the star pulls mass from the planet creating a comet-like trail behind it.

WASP-12b Media

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  Artist's depiction of WASP-12b's atmosphere being tidally stripped by its parent star

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  Comparison of "hot Jupiter" exoplanets - from top left to lower right: WASP-12b, WASP-6b, WASP-31b, WASP-39b, HD 189733b, HAT-P-12b, WASP-17b, WASP-19b, HAT-P-1b and HD 209458b.

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  WASP-12b and its host star, WASP-12 (artist conception).

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  Hot, carbon-rich planet WASP-12b and its host star. (Exoplanet color was unknown at the time of this artist conception).

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  WASP-12b and its host star, WASP-12 − with IR spectra noting the presence of various chemical molecules.