6 Real Planets That Put Science Fiction to Shame

George Lucas dreamed up planets with two suns and cloud cities, and Gene Roddenberry invented dozens of worlds that were all suspiciously similar to the Southern California desert. But as actual space exploration advances and we start to learn what's really on the surface of those distant worlds, it becomes increasingly clear that our imagination has no chance of competing with the jaw-dropping, pants-peeing craziness outer space is capable of cooking up. For instance ... #6. This may seem completely foreign to you, but just for a moment try to pretend you are Han Solo (ladies, you can pretend you're Princess Leia). Via WikipediaIn other words, T-shirt weather. "So where the hell did all this damn ice come from?" But Gliese 436 b has the remarkable ability to defy everything you know about the predictability of matter. Via WikipediaIt's like Satan's Aspen. #5. WASP-12b is the planet equivalent of a fly caught in a web. But it's this devouring that makes the planet interesting. #4. Related: