Do You Want to Move to Another Planet?

Scientists keep looking in the universe, but there doesn’t seem to be any really nice places to live besides earth. One of the more recent planet discoveries is called WASP-12b. It is a huge planet, six times larger than Jupiter. However, it is so close to its host star that it orbits every 26 hours! Our earth orbits the sun about every 365 days.

The planet has a strange orbit that causes something called tidal heating. This raises the temperature on the planet’s surface to more than 4,700˚F (2600˚C). I don’t think we want to move there!

Astronomers believe that the host star may be pulling gas from the planet, which it adds to its own gases. This gives the impression that the host star is eating WASP-12b. Talk about a hostile environment!

The more we look into space, the more amazed we are at the beauty and fitness of our own planet. It is a special place designed by the Creator with mankind in mind. Scientists can keep looking for other places to live, but the earth is a unique place. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men” Psalm 115:16.