Astronomers have created a groundbreaking map of an exoplanet’s atmosphere in 3D, revealing powerful winds carrying chemical elements and intricate weather patterns. The study provides new insights into the planet’s behavior and challenges our understanding of how weather works.
WASP-121b, located 900 lightyears away from Earth, is an ultra-hot Jupiter, meaning it’s a gas giant that orbits its host star scorchingly close. A year on WASP-121b lasts just 30 Earth hours, and the planet is tidally locked, with one side always facing the star.
The team used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope to map the exoplanet’s atmosphere in unprecedented detail. They found powerful winds carrying chemical elements like iron and titanium, generating intricate weather patterns across the atmosphere. The winds were observed in separate layers, allowing the team to produce a 3D map of the atmosphere.
The study reveals a jet stream that rotates material around the planet’s equator, while a separate flow at lower levels of the atmosphere moves gas from the hot side to the cooler side. This kind of climate has never been seen before on any planet. The team also discovered titanium hidden deep within the atmosphere, contrary to previous observations.
The study marks an important milestone in the exploration of exoplanet atmospheres and highlights the potential of future telescopes like ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). With its advanced instrument ANDES, the ELT will be able to study exoplanet atmospheres in greater detail than ever before.
Source: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/exoplanet-tylos-wasp-121b-atmosphere-mapped-in-3d