THE DARKEST IN THE UNIVERSE!

TrES-2b (also Kepler-1b) is the darkest planet in the universe. It is an extrasolar planet [a planet that is outside solar system] orbiting the star GSC 03549-02811 located 750 light years [ large unit of length used to express astronomical distance and is equivalent to 9.46 trillion kilo meters] away from the solar system. The planet has been identified in 2011 as the darkest known exoplanet, reflecting less than 1% of any light that hits it. The planet's mass and radius indicate that it is a gas giant with a bulk composition similar to that of Jupiter. Unlike Jupiter, but similar to many planets detected around other stars, TrES-2b is located very close to its star, and belongs to the class of planets known as hot Jupiter [a class of gas giant exoplanets that are inferred to be physically similar to Jupiter but that have very short orbital periods].

Why is it so dark?

Planet TrES-2b reflects back less than one percent of the light it receives, making it darker than any known planet or moon, darker even than coal. One reason could be an absence of reflective clouds such as those which make Jupiter so bright, due to TrES-2b's proximity to its parent star and the consequent high temperature. Another reason could be the presence in the atmosphere of light-absorbing chemicals such as vaporized sodium, potassium, or gaseous titanium oxide.

Discovery

TrES-2b was discovered on August 21, 2006 by the trans- Atlantic exoplanet survey (TrES) by detecting the transit of the planet across its parent star. The discovery was confirmed by the W.M Keck Observatory on September 8, 2006, by measuring the radial velocity of the star that hosts TrES-2b.

NASA launched Kepler in March 2009. The spacecraft is dedicated to the discovery of extrasolar planets by the transit method from solar orbit. In April 2009 the project released the first light images from the spacecraft, and TrES-2b was one of two objects highlighted in these images.

The first important result from the Kepler Mission about TrES-2b is an extremely low geometric albedo measured in 2011, making it the darkest known exoplanet.[4] If the entire day–night contrast were due to geometric albedo, it would be 2.53%, but modelling suggests that much of this is dayside emission and the true albedo is much lower. It is estimated to be less than 1% and for best-fit model it is about 0.04%. This makes TrES-2b the darkest known exoplanet, reflecting less light than coal or black acrylic paint.

GSC 03549-02811system as seen from the Kepler spacecraft