Formally named the “Bizarro World”, the WASP-17 planet is about 1,000 light-years away from Earth and is (estimated) to be TWICE THE SIZE of Jupiter, possibly making it the largest planet in our solar system, (Looks like we got some got competition, eh?)

The Wide Area Search for Planets has recently found that this planet revolves backwards around the Sun, making it the only planet to do so in the known planets.

Why is it orbiting backwards???

Scientists have a working theory that the planet had a gravitational “close encounter”, thus making the planet reverse its orbit.

Scientists have been taking photographs and studying the various stars around this new planet to see if any changes in light are made as the planet passes them.

And as Sara Sieger would say,

(Quote): “”I would have to say this is one of the strangest planets we know about”(END)

References:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/08/13/2009-08-13_scientists_discover_new_planet_wasp17_that_orbits_backwards.html

http://www.examiner.com/x-12837-US-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m8d14-WASP17-New-planet-orbits-backwards-reveals-violent-past