Ever since the discovery of the first exoplanets in the 1990s, all manner of weird and wonderful worlds have been found orbiting distant stars beyond our solar system. But it’s the very first exoplanets ever discovered that are arguably the strangest. Sometimes referred to as the doomed planets, these weird worlds were likely born from one of the most violent events the universe has to offer. A supernova explosion.
Officially called PSR B1257+12 or the Lich system, the exoplanets are in orbit around a bizarre type of star called a Pulsar. But how did these planets form around something as violent as a Pulsar? What do they look like? And could life exist on their surfaces? These are the first and arguably strangest exoplanets ever discovered.