Scientists have discovered a neighboring exoplanet is blue, just like Earth, but its environment is very different.
The planet, called HD 189733b, is about 63 light-years away and can be seen orbiting its star, according to a NASA press release.
A telescope that measures the change of light was used to observe the changes in color as the planet went along its orbit.
"We saw the light becoming less bright in the blue but not in the green or red. Light was missing in the blue but not in the red when it was hidden," research team member Frederic Pont of the University of Exeter in South West England said. "This means that the object that disappeared was blue."
The finding confirmed past scientific observances of blue light on the surface of the planet. If seen at a closer proximity, the planet would look like a blue dot similar to Earth.
The blue color is basically the only common characteristic HD 189733b has with Earth; the environment is extremely hot and harsh. The blue reflection is not from vast oceans, it is more reminiscent of a blow torch.
Temperatures can reach 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, with, 4,500-mph winds. Rainstorms are actually "glass storms" on the blue planet. Overhead clouds are full of silicate particles, which could create small droplets of glass. Glass raindrops may scatter more blue light than red resulting in the planet's appearance.
The atmosphere is also "changeable and exotic" according to extensive NASA studies.
HD 189733b is part of a class of planets called "hot Jupiters," which orbit extremely close to stars.
This particular planet orbits so closely with its parent star it is locked in orbit. One side of HD 189733b is always facing the "sun" and the other is always dark.
The new "blue" discovery gives new insight into the chemical makeup of this entire class of planets. Detecting the presence of clouds on hot Jupiters can help scientists learn more about the climate of other planets.
