Researchers have successfully used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to map the weather on the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b.
Researchers have successfully used NASA 's James Webb Space Telescope to map the weather on the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b.
The investigation is just the latest demonstration of the exoplanet science now possible with Webb's extraordinary ability to measure temperature variations and detect atmospheric gases trillions of miles away.WASP-43 b is a"hot Jupiter" type of exoplanet: similar in size to Jupiter, made primarily of hydrogen and helium, and much hotter than any of the giant planets in our own solar system.
Since the amount of mid-infrared light given off by an object depends largely on how hot it is, the brightness data captured by Webb can then be used to calculate the planet's temperature. "The fact that we can map temperature in this way is a real testament to Webb's sensitivity and stability," said Michael Roman, a co-author from the University of Leicester in the U.K.
"The fact that we don't see methane tells us that WASP-43b must have wind speeds reaching something like 5,000 miles per hour," explained Barstow."If winds move gas around from the dayside to the nightside and back again fast enough, there isn't enough time for the expected chemical reactions to produce detectable amounts of methane on the nightside."
Astronomy NASA Jupiter Eris (Xena) Space Telescopes Kuiper Belt Astrophysics
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