Data from the Hubble Space Telescope revealed the incredibly chaotic weather on a distant hellish exoplanet where iron can be found in the form of a gas.
If you think the weather is a little uncomfortable where you are, perhaps you can take some consolation in the fact that you do not live on WASP-121 b. The Hubble Space Telescope spotted extremely chaotic weather on the planet that orbits very close to its host star that is brighter and hotter than the Sun, announced NASA on Friday.
WASP – 121 b lies about 850 light-years away from us in the constellation Puppis. “Hot Jupiters” are a class of exoplanets that have features similar to Jupiter, but are much closer to their host star. This planet is so close to its star that its upper atmosphere is hotter than 1,800 degrees Celcius. To put that into context, blast furnaces that are used to smelt iron operate between 1,400 and 1,500 degrees Celsius.
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The harsh ultraviolet radiation from its star is heating the planet’s upper atmosphere, which in turn causes magnesium and iron gas to escape into space. Yes, magnesium and iron gas. The star’s powerful gravitational tidal forces altered the planet’s shape, making it more oblong-shaped.
For the study, researchers applied computer modelling on many years worth of data from the Hubble telescope. With that, they found evidence of massive cyclones on the planet. Cyclones are repeatedly created and destroyed on the planet because of the massive temperature difference between the star-facing (daytime) side and the dark night-time side of the planet.
Revealing intimate details about the climate of distant exoplanets like WASP -121 b is an important step forward since that capability could prove crucial for future space exploration, for example, in the search for planets that have habitable conditions.
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First uploaded on: 05-01-2024 at 11:41 IST
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
