A previous report on the absence of detectable water on an extra-solar planet had spurred the comparison with Frank Herbert’s famous “Planet Dune”, also known as Arrakis. New analysis of the data collected by the Hubble space telescope has shown that the planet is likely to harbor water in its atmosphere. Some scientists, however, remain skeptical as to the results of the analysis and suggest that it may simply be instrumental noise caused by the telescope itself.

Even if there is indeed water on “Arrakis”, this is not quite the place where space tourism is likely to flourish in the next centuries. With a surface temperature of about 1,000°Celsius and an orbit closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun, this planet would certainly give you more than a mere suntan!

Source: New Scientist