10 Insane Planets You Won't Believe Exist

4. The One That's Basically Hell

55 Cancri E
NASA

Only discovered in 2018, K2-141 b made a name for itself by... well... being just the worst. In fact, it's going to be called Muspelheim from here on out. This is CLEARLY the realm of Surtur.

The planet is tidally locked, so the same side always faces its star. It can reach temperatures of AT LEAST 3,200 °F, though it's likely significantly higher. And worst of all? It's all rocky. Literally of it. Yes, the surface is made of rock, which you probably expected, but there's more. Oh, there's so, SO much more.

The ocean is made of magma, which is just melted rock. Then we get to the atmosphere, which is ALSO composed of rock. The rock on the surface melts (you know, because 3,200 °F), evaporates into the sky, forms clouds of rock particles, moves to the colder side of the planet, and rains down back into the ocean, only for the cycle to repeat again. You get all that? Rocky ground melts, becomes rocky cloud, turns into rocky rain, falls into magma ocean, and magma ocean makes more rocky ground. It's also probably got "glaciers" of solid sodium, and at 3,100 mph, the wind breaks the sound barrier. Hooray.

If you ever end up here, expect Thor to show up and Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" to start blaring inexplicably from the heavens.

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Dustin is your friendly neighborhood historian, nerd culture enthusiast, and professional wise-ass. Some of his favorite pastimes include writing, philosophizing, and antagonizing stupid people.