Artist's concept of a Hot Jupiter orbiting a star named 51 Pegasi.
In 1995 astronomers discovered a Hot Jupiter orbiting a star named 51 Pegasi, in the constellation of Pegasus. This planet was named Bellerophon. It orbits the star in just a few days. The closeness to the star makes the planet very hot. In fact it is so hot the planet's atmosphere may be evaporating into space like a cometary tail. Another result of the vicinity is that the planet is tidally locked, meaning it always shows the same face to the star, just like our moon does to Earth. It is a mystery why planets like 51 Pegasi b, or Hot Jupiters, are found so close to their stars. Some astronomers believe they have been created further out and then forced closer to the star, due to their orbit which slows them down.
Size: 6000px × 3000px
Photo credit: © Fahad Sulehria/Stocktrek Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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