There is no definitive evidence of a planet where it rains glass sideways. However, the unique conditions and environments on some distant exoplanets make the idea plausible. With over 5000 exoplanets discovered so far, astronomers have found many worlds with extreme environments unlike anything seen in our solar system. Let’s explore some key questions around the possibility of a planet with sideways glass rain.
What conditions could cause glass rain on a planet?
For a planet to have sideways glass rain, some unusual planetary conditions would need to occur:
– Extremely high temperatures – Likely above 1800°F. This would allow silicates in the planet’s crust to melt into liquid glass.
– Powerful winds – Winds over 1000 mph could blow the liquid glass sideways in the rain.
– Low gravity – Lower gravity would allow the glass rain to be suspended and blow sideways easier.
– Tilted orbit – An orbit tilted on its side relative to its star could create conditions for stronger sideways winds.
– Close orbit to star – A close orbit to a large hot star could provide the intense heat needed.
So a hot, low gravity exoplanet with a tipped orbit very near a large star could potentially create an environment for sideways glass rain if all conditions aligned perfectly.
What kind of planet could have these conditions?
Some types of exoplanets with the best chance for sideways glass rain include:
– Lava planets – Worlds so hot that vaporized rock creates a molten lava surface globally. Silicates could vaporize into the air and condense into liquid glass rain.
– Tidally locked planets – Planets tidally locked in a close orbit to their star with a permanent day and night side. The day side could reach extremely high temperatures.
– Rogue planets – Free floating planets not orbiting any star, but still hot from formation. Rogues drifting near stars could heat up on one side.
– Low gravity exoplanets – Some rocky exoplanets are discovered to be much lower density than Earth, implying lower surface gravity.
– Eccentric orbit exoplanets – Exoplanets with oval shaped orbits could have sections of their year with intense blazing heat.
Have astronomers seen any promising candidates?
There are a few exoplanets that have some characteristics that could potentially allow for sideways glass rain:
– 55 Cancri e – A rocky super Earth orbiting very close to its star with temperatures around 4000°F on the day side. However its gravity is likely too high to allow for glass rain.
– COROT-7b – One of the first rocky exoplanets found. It’s tidally locked in a close orbit with temperatures over 2700°F. However, it may not be hot enough for liquid surface glass.
– Kepler-10b – The first confirmed rocky exoplanet discovered. It’s very close to its star with an estimated day side temperature of 3000°F. But it has high gravity and an unknown orbital tilt.
– Gliese 436 b – A Neptune sized exoplanet with temperatures around 800°F. It’s eccentric orbit causes temperature swings. But likely not hot enough for glass rain.
So while no perfect candidates have been confirmed, several do show promising characteristics like extreme heat and tilted orbits. Future exoplanet discoveries could reveal planets more suitable for sideways glass rain.
What would the glass rain be like on such a planet?
If an exoplanet with the right conditions did allow for a glass rain cycle, the rain would be unlike anything on Earth. Here are some of the unusual characteristics it could have:
– Sideways blowing rain – Powerful super-sonic winds would blow the liquid hot glass sideways through the air. The rain would likely streak across horizons.
– Small glass bead droplets – The liquid glass would likely condense into small spheres and beads that make up the rain drops. Raindrops on Earth flatten from gravity, but lower gravity exoplanets could allow for perfect small glass beads.
– Rain made from vaporized surface rock – The composition of the glass rain would depend on the minerals present in the planet’s crust. But compounds like silica, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, and aluminum oxide could all condense into the rain.
– Vaporized rock turns liquid, then solid – Hot vaporized rock cools into liquid droplets in the clouds, and then solidify again as the rain hits cooler surface temperatures. The rain could partially solidify into glass beads on the way down.
– Dangerous rain to be on the surface – The hot sideways glass rain would make the surface dangerous and deadly. Any atmosphere would carry intense heat too. Safe observation would require orbiting the planet.
What could cause such an exotic environment?
For a planet’s environment to reach the extreme state that could create glass rain, some catastrophic events could be required:
– Recent formation – A newly formed exoplanet could retain residual heat from its formation making it molten hot.
– Tidal forces – Strong gravitational tides from a nearby large planet or star could generate intense internal heating.
– Extremely close orbit – An unstable orbit falling into very close proximity of the star.
– Rogue planet entering close orbit – A freely drifting rogue exoplanet getting captured into a tight new orbit.
– Recent collision – A massive impact from another large body could create heat and mixing to form the environment.
– Star entering red giant phase – If the exoplanet is orbiting a star transitioning into a red giant, the increased output could drastically heat things up.
Any of these extreme events could potentially tip a planet into just the right conditions for sideways glass rain, at least for a period of time before the planet stabilizes again.
Conclusion
While no known exoplanets definitively show or confirm an environment with real sideways glass rain, the possibilities of planets with truly alien conditions mean we can’t rule out something that seems as strange as liquid hot glass raining through fast windswept skies. With each new exoplanet discovery revealing new surprises, there are likely many even stranger types of worlds waiting to be found. Exoplanet research will continue to push the boundaries of what we know is possible on other worlds. Someday an exoplanet with just the right conditions could be found where glass rains sideways in a hostile yet beautiful display. For now, the millions of known exoplanets serve as glimpses of the wide possibilities in our amazing universe.