Exoplanet that Snows Sunscreen

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Hubble Observes Exoplanet that Snows Sunscreen

Nighttime Titanium Oxide Snow Leaves Dayside Cloud-Free and Cooler

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Travelers to the nightside of exoplanet Kepler-13Ab should pack an umbrella because they will be pelted with precipitation. But it's not the kind of watery precipitation that falls on Earth. On this alien world, the precipitation is in the form of sunscreen.

Ironically, the sunscreen (titanium oxide) is not needed on this side of the planet because it never receives any sunlight. But bottling up some sunlight protection is a good idea if travelers plan on visiting the sizzling hot, permanent dayside, which always faces its star. Visitors won't find any desperately needed sunscreen on this part of the planet.

  Read More: HubbleSite

 

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Sounds like we found Mercury's BIG brother.  Titanium dioxide is also used in paints for opacity and brightness.  It's in many other types of coatings and is used in paper for opacity as in paints.