Weirdest Planets

Weirdest Planets

2010, Science  -   33 Comments
8.83
12345678910
Ratings: 8.83/10 from 76 users.

Weirdest PlanetsWith temperatures ranging from 1000 to 2000°C, gravity 15 times stronger than Earth's, and a year that lasts just 5.6 of our days, HAT-P-2b is not a planet you'd want to visit for vacation.

The unusual gas giant—located 440 light-years away in the constellation Hercules - turns out to be the most massive planet found outside our solar system so far.

Astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, spotted the superdense planet using the HATNet global network of automated telescopes, which scans a large fraction of the Northern Hemisphere sky every night to search for planets.

HAT-P-2b, the second planet the project has discovered, stunned scientists with far-out features unprecedented for an alien world.

HAt-P-2b is but one of the odd planets in the cosmos. Journey further into space with this documentary, and discover the weirdest planets of our universe.

More great documentaries

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

33 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Roger Andout
Roger Andout
5 years ago

More than a bit dated. I can't see any reason for leaving such videos online when they are clearly contain no new info, and properly belong in an archive.

Edward Campbell
Edward Campbell
11 years ago

Please remove this description. This is a dead link. This is an 'ex-video'.

BRPoet
BRPoet
11 years ago

I have always been a true fan of the world around me. I goes the same for any "space". The planemos were my favorite concept to ponder. I'll never understand how so many people can live their whole lives without ever even wondering what lies beyond our eyes.

Jay Mehdee
Jay Mehdee
12 years ago

Something about the whole notion of a planemo fascinates me. When I first heard the name, I thought the etymology of it had something to do with Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Just as the Captain and his crew were content with wandering the seas, attached to no nation, so do planemos drift endlessly through outer space.

Darren Jiminy Billybob Stott
Darren Jiminy Billybob Stott
12 years ago

In reference to the opening remark concerning the 51 Peg B discovery: Michel Mayor wasn't making a "routine observation of stars..." (What does that mean?!) he and Diddier Queloz were looking for a planet to begin with. It wasn't an accidental discovery. People like Geoff Marcy and Peter Van De Kamp had been looking for years. Just to clear that up a little.

mywifesablackhole
mywifesablackhole
12 years ago

did not like this one way too much speculation

KooKookaChoo
KooKookaChoo
12 years ago

I loved those doc's! when I said available resources I was more referring to the technological limitations than financial -- but I see where you are going with your point -- the Zeitgeist films definitely illustrate how our concepts of "mine" and money are holding us back from our true potential, it's sad really.

John Cury
John Cury
12 years ago

good for a watch, nothing exciting though...

thomas_5900
thomas_5900
12 years ago

how old is this doc? looks like the 1980's or some s*** because they said "no other planets have been found orbiting another star."

we've found millions of planets orbiting other stars... wtf is this guy on?

drinker69
drinker69
12 years ago

why is there no mention of planet Orb69. It was discovered a decade ago by Sir Robert L'orange of the Institute of Belgian Space Observation(IBSO). Its just around the corner from Neptune and a meteor strike away from Pluton. Apparently is grey and there's some rocks on it. Cool eh.

KooKookaChoo
KooKookaChoo
12 years ago

ooohhhh! that planet covered in water is so intriguing, that's where I'd start to look for life if the resources were available.

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

Interesting Documentary. Vlatko, you probably wont see this but this website is AMAZING!!!! I've been glued to it for about more than a week now. What CMS did you use? (Does it say in the FAQ's?). Also, did you make it allll by yourself? :O

Tanzanos Eleytheros
Tanzanos Eleytheros
12 years ago

Nat. Geo actually made a good space documentary? WOW!

Richard T
Richard T
12 years ago

Wow, a decent space documentary from National Geographic? Who would have guessed..

Ben Mouncer
Ben Mouncer
12 years ago

Very interesting doc, thanks for posting.