KELT-9b is the hottest known exoplanet according to astronomers

According to a recent discovery by astronomers, an exoplanet called KELT-9b is the hottest one to ever be discovered and yet it contains a surprising atmosphere where its own molecules are shred due to the extreme temperature. The exoplanet is part of the Cygnus constellation and is in close vicinity of its star called KELT-9. KELT-9b is part of a group of explanets which are categorised as Hot Jupiters and are one of the first type to be discovered. Another surprising discovery by astronomers is that the hot spot on the exoplanet which was initially under its star seems to be shifting.

“The planet is tidally locked to its star, like how the moon always shows the same face to Earth. And new data provided by Spitzer, NASA's infrared observatory, showed that hydrogen gas molecules are shredded on the dayside of the planet. Those molecules can't reform until they appear on the nightside of the planet, which is slightly cooler,” according to a report by Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Another factor that makes the planet a rarity and a source of astonishment to those studying it is that it is surprisingly close to its star and can complete its orbit in 1.5 earth days.