In March of 2021 scientists confirmed the discovery of a hot, rocky “super-Earth” located only 8 parsecs away in the constellation of Virgo. This planet (currently known to scientists as Gliese 486b) orbits an M-type star with about 1/3 of the mass of our sun.

Some suspect that this planet is none other than the infamous Aarkon, spoken of in urban legends across the globe. While at first glance the planet seems likely to be uninhabitable by humans, it’s characteristics are well aligned with what we know about the Extraterrestrial Visitor and his occasional descriptions of his home world.

The planet itself has a mass approximately 3x that of Earth, and a temperature of a whopping 700 degrees Kelvin. While not quite hot enough to melt rock, it is no wonder that Aarkonians are looking for a cooler spot to vacation. Because the planet is likely to be tidally-locked with its star, meaning that one side of it always faces away, scientists stipulate that the dark side could be substantially colder.

Being normally accustomed to the very hot temperatures found on the daylight side of his world, we now recognize why the Extraterrestrial Visitor constantly complained of being too cold, wearing down jackets and stocking hats indoors even during the warmer seasons here on Earth. The exoplanet also appears to have a thin atmosphere, which could explain why our visitor was required to frequently wear an atmospheric filtering device.

The International Astronomical Union has included the recently discovered Aarkon in it’s third NameExoWorlds contest. But is the scientific community aware that we already know the identity of this planet, and that our friend is currently barrelling back toward it at near light speeds? Stay tuned for more exciting updates as they develop!