Astronomers have uncovered a groundbreaking phenomenon on the gas giant planet WASP-127b, more than 500 light-years from Earth. Using advanced telescopes like ESO’s VLT in Chile, they detected supersonic jetstream winds zipping around the planet’s equator at record-breaking speeds of 33,000 km/h (20,500 mph). This discovery surpasses the fastest wind speeds ever measured on any known planet and offers insights into WASP-127b’s extreme weather systems.
The winds, moving at a staggering 9 kilometers per second, are so fast that they rival the velocity of some of the Solar System’s fastest-moving meteoroids. By analyzing starlight filtered through the planet’s atmosphere, scientists detected high-speed winds with double-peaked patterns: one side moving toward Earth while the other moved away. This suggests unique atmospheric dynamics, with implications for understanding climate and weather on distant worlds.
This finding highlights the importance of ground-based telescopes like ESO’s VLT in detecting such phenomena, as current space telescopes lack the precision needed to observe these extreme speeds. With future missions like the ELT under construction, researchers aim to uncover more about exoplanet atmospheres. This discovery marks a significant milestone in exoplanetary science, bringing us closer to understanding the dynamic and diverse nature of planets beyond our Solar System.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/supersonic-winds-on-a-distant-planet-break-all-speed-records