How Big Can a Rocky Planet Get? Exploring Planetary Sizes

😲TOI 849b is the largest known rocky planet, 40 times Earth's mass and 3 times its size.

🌍Iron planets have a maximum size before collapsing into a black hole due to the lack of fusion.

🌔The Moon is floating away from Earth at a rate of 1 cm per year due to tidal interactions.

🌑Mars' moons, such as Phobos, are falling back down and will eventually crash into the planet.

🚀In a spinning spacecraft simulating gravity, jumping momentarily lifts you before returning to the outward force caused by rotation.

What is the biggest known rocky planet?

—TOI 849b is currently the largest known rocky planet, with 40 times the mass and 3 times the size of Earth.

Can an iron planet become a black hole?

—Yes, if an iron planet surpasses a certain mass, it will collapse into a black hole due to the lack of fusion.

Why is the Moon moving away from Earth?

—The Moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of 1 cm per year due to tidal interactions.

Why are Mars' moons falling back down?

—The tidal interactions between Mars and its moons, such as Phobos, cause them to spiral inward and eventually crash into the planet.

What happens when you jump in a spinning spacecraft?

—When you jump in a spinning spacecraft simulating gravity, you momentarily experience a sense of weightlessness before returning to the outward force caused by rotation.

00:00Introduction to the question show and encouraging viewer participation.

02:45Answering the question about the biggest known rocky planet, TOI 849b, and its characteristics.

07:10Explaining the limitations of iron planets and their maximum size before collapsing into a black hole.

09:45Discussing the Moon's movement away from Earth and its rate of 1 cm per year.

12:15Exploring the falling back of Mars' moons, such as Phobos, and their ultimate fate.

15:30Clarifying the experience of jumping in a spinning spacecraft and the temporary weightlessness before returning to the outward force.