In our cosmic backyard you'll find red neighbors like Mars and the blue planets Uranus and Neptune, but we don't know of a pink example in our solar system. There is such a bright pink planet much further away from us, in the constellation Virgo.
A young and hot planet
This is the exoplanet GJ 504b, also called Gliese 504b, which was discovered in 2013 using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. This gas giant, which does not have a solid surface, like Jupiter, is 57 light-years away from Earth. This special celestial body is particularly noticeable because of its light pink color.
According to the US Space Agency, this pink planet revolves around a star similar to our sun, but much younger. This star and planet formed about 160 million years ago. This makes GJ 504b much younger than Earth, which is more than four billion years old.
And also warmer. On this pink planet, the temperature rises to 237 degrees Celsius. This heat, coming from a star slightly hotter than our Sun, gives this planet its unique pink glow.
How does GJ 504b get its pink color?
The special color of GJ 504b could be a result of the exoplanet's chemical composition. Research published in Astronomy and astrophysics Already showed that hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and carbon monoxide (CO) are present in GJ 504b. These molecules may ensure that light is absorbed and scattered in a certain way.
It is also possible that relatively young age plays a role, although more research should reveal more about this. However, the pink color is eye-catching. “If people could travel to this gas giant, they would see a world still glowing with the heat from its creation and a color similar to a dark cherry blossom, a pale purple.” You can read about this planet on the NASA website.
GJ 504b is one of more than five thousand planets discovered outside our solar system. Other interesting exoplanets include Proxima Centauri b, Kepler-22b and the recently discovered super-Earth TOI-715 b.
Willick Van Doorn studied journalism, traveled the world for a while, and eventually ended up in the editorial offices of Quest, National Geographic, and Runner's World across the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. She is interested in the world, prefers to travel every month and always takes her running shoes with her.
“Total coffee specialist. Hardcore reader. Incurable music scholar. Web guru. Freelance troublemaker. Problem solver. Travel trailblazer.”
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