10 BIGGEST Planets

Here's a top 10 list of the most massive known planets in the whole universe like the planet estimated to be 20 times the size of Jupiter # 7 Kepler-39b Kepler 39b was once the biggest planet known to us tiny Earthlings. It is an object that orbits the Kepler-39 star in the Cygnus constellation. It is actually only big in certain definitions. It is eighteen times more massive than our largest planet, Jupiter, but it's only about 25% larger in size. It is considered a “Hot Jupiter” because it seems to be similar to the composition of Jupiter but is much closer to the sun, making them generally much hotter than our Jupiter. The Kepler 39b, however, is relatively cold for something called a Hot Jupiter, estimated to be about a cool 169 degrees Fahrenheit. # 6 TrES-4b 1,430 light-years away, in the Hercules constellation, you can find TrES-4b, one of the largest planets in our known Universe. It was discovered in 2006, then announced in 2007. This planet is slightly less massive than Jupiter, only having about 0.9 the amount of mass, but is 1.79 times as big in terms of diameter. So, at the time of discovery, it was both the least dense planet ever and the largest planet ever. One news outlet reported that it had the same density as cork. Since it’s so far away, the only images we have of TrES-4b are artist’s renditions. As you can see, it’s predicted to be superheated to that reddish color because of its proximity to its star. This giant planet orbits extremely close to its sun, leading us to believe it has a surface temperature of 2747 degrees Fahrenheit. # 5 WASP-12b The discovery of exoplanet WASP-12b was announced on April 1, 2008, and it is unusual because of its status as a huge Hot Jupiter planet, it’s incredibly short year, and odd shape. The planet is about 40% more massive than Jupiter, and almost twice as large in diameter. The WASP-12b is so close to its sun it completes a single orbit in just one earth day. Being so close to the sun has caused the planet to actually lose mass to it. The gravitational pull of the sun is ripping away WASP-12b’s atmosphere and elongating it into an eggy, oblong like shape. This is proof that a star can actually consume the planets that spin around it. In addition to being slowly eaten by a star, WASP-12b is, expectedly, really, really hot. The surface of the planet is estimated to be more than 3,900 degrees Fahrenheit. # 4 WASP-17b About a thousand light years away, orbiting the WASP-17b in the Scorpius constellation, is the exoplanet we call WASP-17b. Its discovery was announced in August of 2009, and with its discovery came a bunch of questions about what we know concerning planetary formations. In 2012, WASP-17b was the largest planet by diameter ever discovered. Although it is almost twice the size of our solar system’s Jupiter, it is LESS than half of its mass. It has been compared to having the same density as a marshmallow or a foam cup. In addition to its weird marshmallow density, it rotates backwards. While its sun spins one way, WASP-17b orbits the other way, the only planet known to do this. # 3 Kappa Andromedae b 170 light years away, a huge object in the Andromeda constellation was photographed by the Subaru Telescope. This is is an artist’s rendition of that object, called Kappa Andromedae b. It is 13 times the mass of Jupiter, and 1.2 times as large in radius. The classification is not official yet, some calling it a massive planet, others call it a Brown Dwarf. Because it is unclear, many people classify the object as a Super-Jupiter. At the time, scientists were unsure of how big an object a star could keep in orbit. With the imaging and identifying of this planet, stellar theory now accepts that stars can at least harbor something as big as Kappa Andromedae b. # 2 DENIS-P J082393.1-491201 b This planet is nearly 70 light years away from Earth, and it will take you about just as long to say its name. In the constellation Vela, there is a planet named DENIS-P J082393.1-491201 b, that could possibly be the most massive planet ever. If it retains its category as a planet rather than a Brown Dwarf, good ol’ Denis-P b would be the biggest planet with a mass measured at 29 Jupiter Masses. # 1 HD 100546 b Approximately 320 light years away from Earth is a star and star system called HD 100546, also known as KR Muscae. The star is surrounded by a circumstellar disc, a ring of mass that spins around the star consisting of gas and other matter. One of the most intriguing possibilities that seem to be orbiting the star is a planet people are calling HD 1000546 b. The planet appears to be about 20 times as massive as Jupiter and seems to be somewhere between a giant planet and Brown Dwarf in size. Although not much is known about it, it may very well be the biggest planet in the entire universe.