10 Insane Planets You Won't Believe Exist
6. The One With Crystal Clouds
Here, we officially go from terrifying to infuriating.
Located nearly 6,200 light years away in the constellation Cygnus, HAT-P-7b is both larger and more massive than Jupiter. Like Jupiter, it is prone to massive storms. Due to its proximity to its star, it is theorized that the daytime temperature is somewhere around 4,400 °F, and the night side is around 3,500 °F. So far, so terrifying, right? "What's the infuriating part?," you ask? Next paragraph.
On the night side, scientists predict large amounts of corundum in the atmosphere. If that doesn't sound sexy enough, think of it this way: corundum is the mineral that makes up rubies and sapphires. In layman's terms, HAT-P-7b has clouds made of rubies and sapphires. You think OUR clouds are cool? You like that big, beautiful cumulonimbus hanging overhead? You'd like it a lot more if it glistened with precious gemstones. And if we follow this to its logical conclusion, those ruby and sapphire clouds probably rain rubies and sapphires, too.
Ah, what a conundrum we have. So much wealth, and we can't access it without... you know... dying horrifically. But hey, fortune favors the bold. Are you willing to risk it for the biscuit?