Concept Art of Gliese 436 b and its parent star, Gliese 436 – NASA

Typically, when we think of ice, we think of a frozen cube, perhaps in a glass of lemonade.  Many wouldn’t appreciate having ice pressed against their neck because the ice is cold.  But what if ice was almost 1000 degrees Fahrenheit?  Strange to think about, right?  Amazingly enough, the exoplanet Gliese 436 b has exactly that.

Gliese 436 b was discovered in 2004 by scientists R. Paul Butler and Geoffrey Marcy.  They used a method called the Radial Velocity method, which locates an extraterrestrial body by observing how its gravitational pull makes the parent star appear to shift and bend.

Gliese 436 b is one of the closest known exoplanets at a distance of about 30 light years away from the Earth.  This exoplanet is about the size of Neptune, and is a mere 2.5 million miles away from its respective star, Gliese 436.  For reference, Mercury is a staggering 35 million miles from the sun.  Much of the composition of Gliese 436 b is unknown, but scientists have discovered an Earth-like core surrounded by large amounts of water with an atmosphere composed of mostly hydrogen.

Essentially, Gliese 436 b is a massive planet positioned right next to a star.  But what about that burning ice?

Typically, one might believe that since the exoplanet is so close to a star, the atmosphere would be dissolved and any water would evaporate into space.  In smaller planets like Mercury, this is true.  However, Gliese 436 b is the size of Neptune, so its gravitational field is so large that it not only maintains an atmosphere, but it compresses the water on its surface into a solid state.  This results in the water remaining in an ice-like state, while also reaching extreme temperatures from the proximity to Gliese 436, the parent star.

Basic composition of Gliese 436 b

However, the ice on the surface of Gliese 436 b is not normal ice.  Unlike the ice on Earth, which is put into a solid state due to temperature, the ice on Gliese 436 b is in a solid state simply due to pressure.  After all, the surface of the planet is close to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.  According to Frederic Pont of Geneva University, “Under very high pressure, water turns into other solid states denser than both ice and liquid water, just as carbon transforms into diamond under extreme pressures.”  As wild as it might seem, this suggests that if water is subjected to enough pressure, it can take on a completely new form that might not exist on Earth.

But wait there’s more!  The gravitational pull of the exoplanet’s parent star is strong enough that it is slowly pulling off layers of hydrogen from the dense atmosphere of the planet.  While it is believed that the atmosphere is in no danger of being completely stripped away, the planet leaves behind a large cloud of hydrogen.  When viewed through an ultraviolet lens, the immense cloud of hydrogen can be seen swirling around the planet.

While this is just one fantastical scenario in the infinite wonders of space, it’s a great start to promote the idea that any concept, no matter how wild, is always possible.