News > Did You Know Some Planets Are Hotter Than Stars?

Did You Know Some Planets Are Hotter Than Stars?

Data from the Kepler mission has shown that large, gaseous exoplanets can orbit very close to their star – rather than far away from it, as is the case in our solar system, causing them to reach temperatures exceeding 1,000K (727°C). These have been dubbed “hot” or “ultra-hot” Jupiters. And while most other exoplanets are smaller, between the size of Neptune and Earth, we don’t know much about their composition.

But how can hot, gaseous planets form and exist so close to their star?