The Shiniest Planet in the Universe: LTT 9779 B

TLDRLTT 9779 B is an exoplanet located 264 light years away from Earth. It is incredibly shiny, reflecting around 80% of the light from its parent star. This makes it even shinier than Venus, the shiniest planet in our solar system. LTT 9779 B is also five times the size of Earth and covered in thick metallic clouds. Its high reflectivity and unique characteristics make it an incredibly rare and fascinating planetary discovery.

Key insights

❇️LTT 9779 B is an exoplanet located 264 light years away from Earth and is incredibly shiny, reflecting around 80% of the light from its parent star.

🌍LTT 9779 B is five times the size of Earth, making it the largest space mirror ever discovered.

🎇The planet was discovered by NASA's transiting exoplanet service in 2020. Its highly reflective nature was uncovered later through a follow-up investigation conducted by the European Space Agency.

🔍Scientists believe that the high reflectivity of LTT 9779 B is due to its thick metallic clouds, which prevent the planet from overheating and evaporating.

🌌LTT 9779 B is an example of an ultra-hot Neptune, a rare planetary type characterized by its large size and high reflectivity.

Q&A

How far away is LTT 9779 B from Earth?

—LTT 9779 B is located approximately 264 light years away from Earth.

How does LTT 9779 B compare to Venus in terms of reflectivity?

—LTT 9779 B is even more reflective than Venus, reflecting around 80% of the light from its parent star.

What is the size of LTT 9779 B compared to Earth?

—LTT 9779 B is five times the size of Earth, making it the largest space mirror ever discovered.

When was LTT 9779 B discovered?

—LTT 9779 B was discovered by NASA's transiting exoplanet service in 2020. Its highly reflective nature was uncovered later through a follow-up investigation conducted by the European Space Agency.

What makes LTT 9779 B so reflective?

—Scientists believe that the high reflectivity of LTT 9779 B is due to its thick metallic clouds, which prevent the planet from overheating and evaporating.

Timestamped Summary

00:02LTT 9779 B is an exoplanet located 264 light years away from Earth.

00:20LTT 9779 B reflects approximately 80% of the light from its parent star, making it incredibly shiny.

01:24The planet was discovered by NASA's transiting exoplanet service in 2020, and its high reflectivity was uncovered later through a follow-up investigation by the European Space Agency.

02:00LTT 9779 B is five times the size of Earth, making it the largest space mirror ever discovered.

04:23LTT 9779 B is classified as an ultra-hot Neptune, a rare planetary type characterized by its large size and high reflectivity.

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