With the arrival of a visiting crew still delayed, science and maintenance work on board the International Space Station continued to fill the Expedition 73 crew's week.
They are known as "Hot Jupiters," massive gas giants that orbit very close to their stars. As a result, they have very short orbital periods (less than a day in some cases) and experience extreme temperatures of up to 1,650 °C (3,000 °F). In fact, these planets are superheated to the point that minerals become vaporized and form clouds in their atmospheres. While this class of planet is rare, accounting for about 500 of the more than 5,900 exoplanets confirmed to date, the existence of these planets has raised questions about our planetary formation models.
