Raining Pebbles: Rocky Exoplanet Has Bizarre Atmosphere, Simulation Suggests

Tidally locked with its star and orbiting very close to it, the exoplanet Corot-7b is hot enough to melt rock on its star-facing side. Its atmosphere consists of the components of silicate rocks in gaseous form and, simulation suggests, periodically rains pebbles or grains of sand onto the molten surface below.

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