Scientists Describe Shiniest Exoplanet: "Giant Mirror In Space"

Astronomers have said that a planet located 264 light years from Earth is a "giant mirror in space". According to The Telegraph, the exoplanet named LTT9779b was discovered by American space agency NASA in 2020 and selected for follow-up observations by the European Space Agency (ESA). The planet orbits a Sun-like star every 19 hours and has reflective metallic clouds made of silicates and metals like titanium. The planet reflects around 80 per cent of incoming light, the outlet further said in its report.

A research describing the planet has been published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

"It's a giant mirror in space," Professor James Jenkins, an astronomer and co-author of the research, was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

The diametre of LTT9779b is 4.7 times more than Earth's and it orbits its Sun-like star at much closer distance than Mercury. It is 60 times closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun, the outlet further said.

In our solar system, Venus is the brightest planet, reflecting 75 per cent of the incoming light. It is surrounded by toxic clouds of sulphuric acid. The Earth, meanwhile, reflect about 30 per cent of the incoming light.

According to NASA website, LTT9779b is a Neptune-like exoplanet and is 0.01679 AU (Astronomical Unit) from its star.

Observations on the exoplanet were carried out by ESA's Cheops (Characterising Exoplanet Satellite) mission.

"Imagine a burning world, close to its star, with heavy clouds of metals floating aloft, raining down titanium droplets," study co-author James Jenkins, an astronomer at Diego Portales University in Santiago, Chile, in a statement published by CNN.

Most planets are not able to reflect the light because of the rough land surface and its absorption by the landmass on the planet. Apart from Venus, Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Europa, there are no known exceptions.

Scientists said this is the first time a planet like this has been found so close to its star.

"It's a planet that shouldn't exist. We expect planets like this to have their atmosphere blown away by their star, leaving behind bare rock," Vivien Parmentier, researcher at the Observatory of Cote d'Azur in France's Nice, was quoted as saying by CNN.

Researchers said the planet's metal clouds are helping it survive in such an unlikely location.