Buzz
While gazing at the night sky, many of us wish for the discovery of planets that resemble Earth, where life could thrive as we know it. However, finding Earth-like planets suitable for life requires immense patience, as the conditions for life are exceedingly rare. In reality, the vast expanse beyond our planet is home to some of the harshest and most inhospitable environments. As the search for life-sustaining planets continues, here are ten exoplanets where survival is impossible due to extreme conditions.
10. Kepler-78b
The hunt for Earth-like exoplanets is a never-ending endeavor for scientists. In 2013, two separate research teams discovered Kepler-78b, a planet that closely matches Earth in size, density, and composition. Its radius is only 1.2 times larger than Earth’s, and it is rocky in nature. The problem is that Kepler-78b orbits so closely to its star that its rocky surface has completely melted. With one of the shortest known orbits, it completes a full rotation around its star in just 8.5 hours. Despite its similarities to Earth, this planet is a fiery, molten world where life could never survive.
9. Gliese 581g
Gliese 581g stands as one of the top contenders for a planet that could support life. It's almost the same size as Earth and resides within the Habitable Zone of its star, the region where conditions might allow life to exist. However, there's a catch: Gliese 581g is tidally locked, meaning one side of the planet is always facing its star. The only truly habitable area is the narrow strip between the day and night sides. While this planet could theoretically host life, its two extremes offer fatal conditions—one side is in perpetual freezing darkness, the other in constant scorching daylight. Venture too far in either direction, and you'd be facing either an icy tomb or a fiery one.
8. HD 189773b
HD 189773b is a massive exoplanet, roughly the size of Jupiter, and it orbits 30 times closer to its star than Earth does to the Sun. This proximity causes its atmosphere to slowly evaporate due to the intense X-ray and ultraviolet radiation from its star, losing an astonishing 100 million to 600 million kilograms every second. It’s also the first exoplanet to have its color confirmed, and remarkably, it’s blue, much like Earth. This blue hue, however, comes from light scattering off silicate particles in the atmosphere, which, because of the planet's extreme heat, may condense into glass. Winds reaching 4,000 miles per hour (6,437.4 km/h) whip the glass through the air like a violent sideways rainstorm. A trip to HD 189773b would feel like being shredded in a glass-storm disaster.
7. PSR B1257+12 b, c, and d
The planets in the PSR B1257+12 system share similar, harsh realities. The nighttime skies on PSR B1257+12 b, c, and d are illuminated by mesmerizing auroras akin to Earth’s Northern Lights. However, these dazzling displays are the result of intense radiation constantly bombarding the planets from their pulsar star. A pulsar is a star that has gone through a supernova, leaving behind a dense, rapidly spinning remnant that emits massive amounts of radiation. It’s believed that these planets are second-generation worlds, formed from the remains of planets destroyed by the star’s initial supernova. Visiting any of these three pulsar-orbiting planets would likely result in fatal radiation sickness.
6. OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b
With a mass 5.5 times that of Earth, OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b is a rocky exoplanet located far beyond our solar system. Despite its quirky name, this planet offers a far colder reality. Orbiting a dim dwarf star, it takes an entire 10 Earth years to complete a single orbit. With surface temperatures plummeting to -364°F (-220°C), OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b is far less of a winter wonderland and more of a frozen wasteland. If you ever considered a ski trip here, you'd most likely find yourself succumbing to the extreme cold before hitting the slopes.
5. GJ 1214b
Nothing quite compares to a nice, relaxing sauna—unless, of course, the sauna is the entire planet! GJ 1214b is a super-Earth, six times more massive than our own, and resembles a water world. Its interior is likely made of ice, but the surface is where things get truly unusual. Instead of familiar oceans, the planet is shrouded in water that exists under such extreme heat and pressure that it could be either hot ice or even water in a plasma state. A visit to this steam-laden planet would open your pores—just before the scalding atmosphere burns you to death.
1. TrES-2b
Space is already dark enough, but the darkest planet ever found, TrES-2b, is almost pitch-black with an eerie red glow. Roughly the size of Jupiter, TrES-2b’s atmosphere is thought to be made of vaporized sodium, potassium, and possibly gaseous titanium oxide, all of which absorb light, unlike Jupiter's ammonia clouds that reflect it. The planet orbits 30 times closer to its star than Earth does to the Sun, causing its atmosphere to heat up to a blistering 1,800°F (982.2°C). This extreme heat also causes the planet to emit a faint red glow. If you're afraid of the dark, not even a flashlight could help you feel at ease on TrES-2b, and you'll be terrified right up until the moment its scorching atmosphere burns you alive.
4. Osiris
Officially known as HD 209458b, this hot Jupiter-type planet is nicknamed Osiris after the Egyptian god who lost part of his body to his brother’s destructive wrath. This name fits, as Osiris is the first exoplanet discovered with an evaporating hydrogen atmosphere. The escaping hydrogen causes the surrounding oxygen and carbon to stretch into a rugby ball shape. Despite the presence of oxygen, the planet’s atmosphere is so hot, reaching nearly 2,000°F (1093.3°C), that you’d be suffocated long before you felt the searing heat.
7. PSR B1257+12 b, c, and d
The three planets in the PSR B1257+12 system all face similar, extreme conditions. Their night skies are illuminated by spectacular auroras resembling Earth’s Northern Lights, but these are fueled by massive radiation showers from their star. This star has transformed into a pulsar, a type of star that undergoes a supernova and leaves behind a rapidly rotating, extremely dense remnant, emitting intense radiation. These planets are likely second-generation worlds, formed from the remains of planets obliterated by the star’s initial explosion. A visit to any of these pulsar-orbiting planets would likely result in a quick death from radiation poisoning.
6. OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b
With a mass 5.5 times that of Earth, OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b is a rocky exoplanet located far from our solar system. Despite its odd name, the reality of this planet is far more chilling—literally. Orbiting a tiny dwarf star, it takes 10 Earth years to complete just one orbit. The planet’s surface temperature is estimated to be a bone-chilling -364°F (-220°C). Far from a cozy winter retreat, OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b resembles a frozen wasteland, where you’re more likely to freeze to death than enjoy a ski vacation.
5. GJ 1214b
There’s nothing quite like a good sauna session—unless the entire planet is one massive sauna! GJ 1214b is a super-Earth, six times the mass of Earth, and looks like a real-life water world with an icy interior. Though the surface is mostly water, it wouldn’t resemble the oceans we know. Instead of liquid water, GJ 1214b’s surface would likely consist of hot ice or even water in a plasma state, due to extreme heat and pressure. A visit to this steam-filled planet would open your pores—just before you’re killed by scalding steam.
4. Osiris
Officially known as HD 209458b, this hot-Jupiter-type planet has been named Osiris after the Egyptian god who was dismembered by his brother. The planet earned its name because it was the first exoplanet discovered with an evaporating hydrogen atmosphere. As the hydrogen escapes into space, it leaves behind a stretch of oxygen and carbon that takes on the shape of a rugby ball. Despite oxygen being present in the atmosphere, the rapid evaporation and loss of material would quickly suffocate anyone visiting, though not before being burned alive by the nearly 2,000°F (1093.333°C) heat.
1. TrES-2b
Space is already dark enough, but the planet TrES-2b takes it to another level, being nearly completely black with a chilling red glow. About the size of Jupiter, this planet’s atmosphere is thought to consist of vaporized sodium and potassium or gaseous titanium oxide, all of which absorb light, unlike the ammonia clouds on Jupiter that reflect light. This darkness is compounded by the planet’s proximity to its star, being 30 times closer than Earth is to the Sun, heating the atmosphere to over 1,800°F (982.222°C). The intense heat also gives TrES-2b its red glow. If you're afraid of the dark, this planet won't offer any comfort—even a flashlight won’t help as the lava-hot atmosphere consumes you.
2. WASP-12b
WASP-12b might be the closest we get to witnessing a massive egg being cooked in space. Discovered by NASA scientists in 2008, this peculiar exoplanet orbits so close to its sun-like star that it is stretched into an egg shape by the immense gravitational pull. A gas giant, roughly twice the size of Jupiter, WASP-12b completes an orbit in just 1.1 Earth days. The temperature on this planet is so extreme it reaches 4,000°F (2204.444°C). As it gets pulled apart by its star, the planet’s atmosphere is being stripped away, with scientists estimating that in 10 million years, WASP-12b will have been completely devoured by its star. A visit to WASP-12b would end in a fiery death, followed by the planet being consumed like an egg.
3. Janssen
In 2004, the discovery of 55 Cancri e, a planet eight times the mass of Earth, introduced the world to a dangerous and enigmatic exoplanet. Known as Janssen, this tidally locked planet has left scientists scratching their heads with its array of terrifying possibilities. Some theories suggest that it could be entirely covered by molten lava, feature an atmosphere similar to that of Venus, be one where only the day side has an atmosphere, or even be a scorching water world. What is certain is that Janssen is scorching hot. The day side burns at a blistering 4,200°F (2315.556°C), while the night side is still dangerously warm, though only half as hot. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t live long enough to notice the difference as the heat would likely end your life before you could experience it fully. The mystery of what exactly makes this planet so deadly doesn’t matter when the intense heat is sure to kill anyone who dares to visit.
