Kumara School have been learning about the solar system. I chose the HD189773B because it’s so interesting. What other planet rains glass?

The planet HD189773B is 63 light years away from Earth. It’s called the blue alien planet.  Researchers say the blue color in the atmosphere likely comes from a rain of molten glass.

The planet HD189773B is different to other planets because it rains glass. The air around the planet has a lot of ‘silicate crystals’. The silicate crystals start to melt because it’s so close to the sun. They then turn into glass and that’s how it rains glass.

On HD 189773B the glass rains sideways because the wind is so strong. In fact, the wind travels 2km per second. On Earth it would take five hours and 33 minutes to get around the equator.

The planet HD189773B would be a scary place to go to. It's awful and unusual and who knows what else is there.

By Jamielee Sanson