Recent observations of an exoplanet called WASP-107b have revealed an exotic world that’s much stranger than researchers realized when it was first discovered in 2017.
The gas giant, located 200 million light-years away, had already attracted the attention of astronomers, who had long been intrigued by its light, cotton-candy-like “fluffy” composition.
However, recent observations of exoplanets show that It was named WASP-107b It reveals an exotic world far stranger than researchers ever imagined.
Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a team of European astronomers was able to draw some conclusions about the composition of the Neptune-like gas giant’s atmosphere. Researchers have found that exoplanets are not only scorching hot (outside temperatures of more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit), but also have dust clouds high up in their atmospheres that can rain down on their surfaces. .
The survey results are Published in June In Nature magazine, announced on Wednesday.
“We are uncovering a new world,” says French astronomer and study co-author Akleine Direc said in a statement. “[The Webb telescope]will enable us to characterize the deep atmospheres of exoplanets that have no counterpart in our solar system.”
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Why is WASP-107b known as a “fluffy” planet?
Despite being as large as Jupiter, WASP-107b Only 12% According to NASA, it is one mass of Jupiter.
This exoplanet is about the size of 30 Earths, but orbits a star that is slightly cooler and less massive than the Sun.
beginning discovered in 2017, WASP-107b became known to astronomers as the “fluffy” planet because of its relatively low density compared to its massive size. This configuration allowed European astronomers to peer deep into the atmosphere in a way not possible on the dense giant that is Jupiter.
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Sand clouds, sulfur dioxide spread across exoplanets
Data from NASA’s state-of-the-art James Webb Space Telescope has provided European researchers with an opportunity to study and unravel the complex chemical composition of the gaseous planet’s atmosphere.
The research team discovered the presence of water vapor and sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is the chemical that produces the characteristic odor when a match burns. But what was unusual was that scientists found no trace of the greenhouse gas methane.
Researchers say the absence of methane suggests that Earth’s interior may be warm.
The discovery of sulfur dioxide also surprised the research team, as previous models of WASP-107b had predicted its absence. But its presence likely explains the planet’s “fluffy feel,” the researchers explained. Even though the cool host star emits only a fraction of the high-energy photons, these photons can reach deep into Earth’s atmosphere and trigger the chemical reactions needed to produce sulfur dioxide.
Perhaps most intriguingly, the researchers discovered a high-altitude silicate cloud similar to the very material we humans find on beaches around the world.
And just as water droplets on Earth condense and fall from clouds as rain, so do silicate vapors, he said. Michelle Min, an astronomer at the University of Amsterdam and co-author of the study. Observations seem to show that the silicates fall like rain toward the planet’s hot interior, then evaporate and form clouds again.
“This is very similar to our Earth’s water vapor and cloud cycle, except that the water droplets are made of sand,” Min said in a statement.
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James Webb Space Telescope helps astronomers make new discoveries
European astronomers are among those around the world who are increasingly using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to make new discoveries about mysterious exoplanets orbiting stars.
Just this past September, Webb helped discover evidence of the possibility of an oceanic world larger than Earth with the conditions for life to exist. And last week, the telescope helped researchers pinpoint the oldest black hole ever discovered.
The team studying WASP-107-b used a telescope to make observations. Mid-infrared measuring instrument (MIRI), equipped with a highly sensitive detector, Redshifted light from distant galaxiesnewly formed stars and faintly visible comets.
“[Webb’s]MIRI instrument’s discovery of clouds of sand, water, and sulfur dioxide on this fluffy exoplanet is a pivotal milestone.” Leanne Dessinastronomer. University of Leuven in Belgium said another study co-author in a statement. “This reshapes our understanding of planet formation and evolution and sheds new light on our own solar system.”
Eric Lagatta covers the latest and trending news for USA TODAY. Please contact elagatta@gannett.com.