A lava planet is a type of terrestrial planet whose planetary surface is mostly or entirely covered by magma oceans or pools of erupted lava. Situations where such planets could exist include a young terrestrial planet just after its formation, a planet that has recently suffered a large crust-splitting impact event, or a planet orbiting very close to its star causing intense irradiation and tidal forces to melt its surface.
A lava planet is a type of terrestrial planet whose planetary surface is mostly or entirely covered by magma oceans or pools of erupted lava. Situations where such planets could exist include a young terrestrial planet just after its formation, a planet that has recently suffered a large crust-splitting impact event, or a planet orbiting very close to its star causing intense irradiation and tidal forces to melt its surface.
Source: Wikipedia "Lava planet" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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