British scientists discover molten iron clouds on distant sunless planet

Source: The Independent



British scientists discover molten iron clouds on distant sunless planet

The technique used to discover the clouds could one day be used to predict the chances of life
existing on distant Earth-like planets

Doug Bolton 4 hours ago

Thick clouds made of droplets of molten iron have been discovered on a bizarre sunless planet 75 light years from Earth.

The planet-like object, which was discovered in 2013 and given the catchy name PSO J318.5-22, was already considered one of the stranger bodies in the sky because it does not appear to orbit around a star.

Now, after the latest discovery by astronomers from the University of Edinburgh, the strange planet has become even stranger.

Using a telescope in Chile, the astronomers discovered that the lonely world is covered in layers of cloud, which are made up of molten iron and super-hot dust.

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Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/british-scientists-discover-molten-iron-clouds-on-distant-sunless-planet-a6722276.html

Source: BBC

Edinburgh astronomers make sunless planet discoveries

3 November 2015 Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland

Clouds made of droplets of molten iron have been detected on a sunless world 75 light years from Earth.

The planet-like object, PSO J318.5-22, was already considered one of the strangest ever discovered.

About the same size as Jupiter, it floats freely out on its own in space.

Scientists estimate it is only about 20 million years old. Edinburgh University astronomers used a telescope in Chile to show it is covered in multiple layers of thick and thin cloud.

It has no parent star.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-34712877