Saturday, May 19, 2007

Uh-oh -- I missed a day. Can you forgive me?

Neptune-Sized Planet Covered in Superhot Ice

One of the most dramatic extrasolar planetary discoveries of the year was announced this week; unfortunately, with little fanfare. Planet hunters uncovered a Neptune-sized planet orbiting a nearby star. This planet is close enough to its parent star that it's extremely hot - above 250 degrees Celsius. And yet the intense pressure from gravity forces large quantities of liquid water into solid ice.

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