Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet called WASP-121 b, located about 900 light-years away from Earth. This extreme world is an ultra-hot Jupiter with iron rain and violent winds that rival those of the strongest hurricanes in our solar system. Researchers used the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to study the atmosphere of WASP-121 b in unprecedented detail.
The planet’s atmosphere behaves strangely, creating intricate weather patterns due to its iron and titanium content. The VLT instrument ESPRESSO allowed researchers to map three layers of the exoplanet’s atmosphere, detecting chemicals like iron, sodium, and hydrogen. These elements tracked winds in different atmospheric layers, revealing a jet stream that rotates material around the planet’s equator.
One surprising discovery was the presence of titanium beneath the jet stream, which was previously thought to be absent. This finding highlights the importance of ground-based observations of exoplanets. The team’s research has been published in the journal Nature and provides new insights into the extreme weather patterns of this extraordinary world.
Source: https://www.space.com/wasp-121b-violent-winds-science-fiction