TOI-1431 b is a sizzling hot exoplanet discovered in 2021 thanks to the keen eyes of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Orbiting the star TOI-1431, this fiery world was spotted as it elegantly passed in front of its star, casting just the right shadow for TESS’s CCD array to catch. It’s a true space inferno, boasting temperatures so high it could melt metals, making it more of a cosmic oven than a cozy planet. Although it’s far beyond the reach of Earthly travel, TOI-1431 b offers astronomers a glimpse into the extreme ends of planetary atmospheres and star-planet relationships, sizzling away hundreds of light-years from our home in the galaxy.
