NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Detects Water and Methane on Distant Exoplanet
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have made a groundbreaking discovery on the exoplanet WASP-121b. The telescope has detected water, carbon monoxide, silicon monoxide, and methane in the planet’s atmosphere.
WASP-121b is an ultrahot Jupiter, with a surface temperature of over 3,000 degrees Celsius during the day and dropping to 1,500 degrees Celsius at night. Its orbit takes just 1.3 days around its parent star, WASP-121. The planet’s proximity to its star makes it extremely hot, threatening to rip it apart if it gets too close.
For the first time ever, scientists have detected silicon monoxide in a planetary atmosphere, including that of WASP-121b. This discovery is significant, as it provides insight into the planet’s formation and composition.
The study suggests that the planet’s atmosphere was enriched by inward-drifting pebbles and bombardment of refractory material during its formation. The measured atmospheric ratios also indicate that the dayside temperatures are high enough for solid compounds to exist as gaseous components in the atmosphere.
“This is a groundbreaking moment for exoplanet research,” said Dr. Anjali Piette, an astronomer at the University of Birmingham. “The James Webb Space Telescope has demonstrated its capabilities and sets a precedent for future studies.”
The discovery appears in the journal Nature Astronomy and highlights the importance of the telescope’s capabilities in understanding the atmospheres of distant planets.
Source: https://www.sci.news/astronomy/webb-silicon-monoxide-atmosphere-ultrahot-jupiter-wasp-121b-13952.html