Mystery of cosmos

Exoplanets That Break The Rules of Space

 Kriti Sharma, AIS Vas 1, XII C

The universe, over 13.8 billion years old, hides countless wonders – none more fascinating than exoplanets. These are worlds orbiting stars beyond our Sun. Some are scorched giants, some are icy, and a few may even be drenched in water. Each defies what we call ‘normal’.

The water world
Kepler-138d, about 2.1 times Earth’s mass, is a ‘water world’ candidate. NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer telescopes suggest it may be rich in water or other light materials, though its high temperature and pressure make Earth-like oceans impossible.

The marshmallow planet
Then there’s WASP-107b, the ‘marshmallow planet’. Though nearly Jupiter-sized, it’s barely one-tenth as massive. It’s so puffy that scientists compare its density to candy foam. Its bloated atmosphere shows how extreme heating can inflate gas worlds.

The whiplash planet
HR 5183b doesn’t play by orbital rules. With a 74-year eccentric orbit, it slingshots chaotically through space. Its unpredictable movement makes it feel like the galaxy’s true rebel planet.  
The glass rain world
HD 189733b, a ‘glass-rain world’, lies 64 light-years away. Its cobalt-blue hue comes not from water but silicate particles. Fierce winds, reaching thousands of km/h, whip molten glass sideways across the atmosphere – hardly a tropical paradise.

The ultra-hot Jupiter
Even harsher is WASP-12b, an ‘ultra-hot Jupiter’ so close to its star that it’s stretched into an egg shape. Intense tidal forces strip away its atmosphere, slowly consuming the planet - a cosmic death in slow motion.

The darkest planet
Finally, TrES-2b stands out as the darkest planet ever found, reflecting less than 1% of incoming light – darker than coal. It absorbs nearly everything, glowing faintly red from its own heat.

Together, these worlds prove how wildly different planets can be. Some are bright blue, some nearly invisible; some are dissolving, others impossibly light. In a universe this vast, being ‘normal’ is the only impossible thing.