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Well, I've put the phrase "water planet" inside the Physics and Astronomy search and I've found nothing. So, the question is: How a water planet looks in the outer space when seen through an optic telescope?

The planet is assumed to have no lands, no clouds, no atmosphere, no ice; just a very huge drop of pure water in the sky. Will be possible to see it when occlude a star in the background? How about the albedo? Thanks in advance.

Ehi, guys: it's not my solution for the dark matter quest... Just a mental gymn.

I don't think it's possible to have a big drop of water in the sky. w/o an atmosphere, it would just boil away. Even with an atmosphere I don't think it would work, for reasons I'm still trying to work out in my head. Stuff like pressure causing it to turn to ice, etc.

Fenerit wrote:Well, I've put the phrase "water planet" inside the Physics and Astronomy search and I've found nothing. So, the question is: How a water planet looks in the outer space when seen through an optic telescope?

The planet is assumed to have no lands, no clouds, no atmosphere, no ice; just a very huge drop of pure water in the sky. Will be possible to see it when occlude a star in the background? How about the albedo? Thanks in advance.

Like Europa does?

Indeed, it's just an ideal case. Supposed as it is, I'm wonder about also the gravity, in this situation. Other questions could be: what happen to the particles of water at center? How big should be this drop either to inject the nuclear fusion or to reach the metallic hydrogen state, if any?

LordFerret wrote:

Fenerit wrote:Well, I've put the phrase "water planet" inside the Physics and Astronomy search and I've found nothing. So, the question is: How a water planet looks in the outer space when seen through an optic telescope?

The planet is assumed to have no lands, no clouds, no atmosphere, no ice; just a very huge drop of pure water in the sky. Will be possible to see it when occlude a star in the background? How about the albedo? Thanks in advance.

Like Europa does?

Oh, no; worst again! No solid nor gaseous state of matter.

I don't think what you are asking is physically possible, but it if was it would still look white like clouds. it does not matter if the drops a a foot in diameter, scaling back the light would still be refracted just like the smaller drops in clouds now.

I think that a water planet, heavy enough to have an atmosphere so it doesn't evaporate, and sufficiently close to it's parent star not to freeze over, might need to be so big that the pressure near the centre might not allow for water to remain in it's normal liquid phase.



The upper roman numbers represent solid phases of water under high pressure.

Source:
http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/phase.html

Thanks Julesstoop for the diagram.

MKruer, I'm not sure that the drop look "white like clouds" because I'm unable to figure out how the drop can have a reflection as well as refraction when beneath, to say, 1 km af deepth all the lights would be absorbed and no solid parts are to scatter the lights.