NASA has come across a hostile alien world that is considered as the darkest exoplanet ever discovered by the agency. Details about the planet were unveiled as part of NASA's latest project that features exoplanets with the harshest environments.
The mysterious exoplanet has been identified by NASA as TrES-2B. As explained by the agency, TrES-2B is located outside the Solar System, which means it is an extrasolar planet. NASA indicated that the exoplanet orbits a star that's situated about 750 light-years away from Earth.
According to NASA, TrES-2B is a gas giant like Jupiter. However, unlike Jupiter, TrES-2B orbits very close to its host star, making the planet extremely uninhabitable due to its environmental and atmospheric conditions. Due to its proximity to its host star, NASA noted that the air on the exoplanet is as hot as lava.
As indicated by the agency, TrES-2B has a very dark environment and only reflects about 1 percent of the light from space that hits it. Inside the planet, only pitch-black darkness can be seen. The exoplanet's extreme darkness, combined with its harsh atmospheric conditions, make it one of the most inhospitable worlds in the universe.
"Welcome to TrES-2B, the planet of eternal night," NASA stated. "The darkest planet ever discovered orbiting a star, this alien world is less reflective than coal. Inside its atmosphere, you'd be flying blind in the dark."
"Some scientists think an eerie deep red glow would emanate from its burning atmosphere – the air of this planet is as hot as lava," the agency added.
TrES-2B was introduced by NASA as part of Galaxy of Horrors, a special project launched by the agency in October as a means to provide entertaining and education facts about some of the most dangerous exoplanets ever discovered.
In addition to providing horrifying facts about exoplanets, NASA also made special posters for each one of them as part of the project. Each poster was made to look like promotional materials for classic horror movies.
Aside from TrES-2b, Galaxy of Horrors also features alien planets that NASA referred to as zombie worlds. According to the agency, these exoplanets orbit an undead host star known as a pulsar. These worlds are extremely inhospitable due to the high levels of radiation they receive from the pulsar's core.
