Scientists discover the hottest planet - the HD 149026b

14 May, 2007

Scientists have discovered the hottest planet in the constellation, but they have not yet given it a name, several internet reports suggested. A planet which is orbiting the Sun in the solar system could be the hottest planet ever found, if the reports are to be believed.

The hot planet - code HD 149026b - has a temperature of 3,700 degrees Fahrenheit (2,040 degrees Celsius). The new discovery is thought to help the climatologists and the scientists to create a more advanced awareness about the planets which are outside the solar system.

The new planet is being mentioned as a hot Jupiter, which is a gas giant that keeps on orbiting very close to its star. For a planet to be as hot as the HD 149026b, it should absorb most of the light that falls on it. The absorbed light is radiated back in turn as a red glow.

The HD 149026b is located almost 279 light-years from Earth, quite a bit of a distance considering one light year is the distance that light travels in one year.