James Webb telescope discovers exoplanet with sand clouds

By Amira Shehata

Friday, November 17, 2023 02:00 AM

Scientists discovered through James Webb Telescope A strange planet… WASP-107bIt has a thin atmosphere and clouds of sand, but it is actually a Jupiter-sized exoplanet, located 200 light-years from Earth, and has one of the most unusual atmospheres ever discovered.

According to the British Daily Mail, astronomers were surprised to find that not only did it contain clouds of sand and silicate water, but it also contained sulfur dioxide, which can create acid rain on Earth.

According to researchers at the Astronomical Institute, it also has an Earth-like cloud formation system. KU Leuven In the Netherlands, sand produces droplets instead of water.

Although clouds have been discovered on exoplanets before, this is the first time that their chemical composition has been analyzed by astronomers.

Thanks to the web containing the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) that helped provide pioneering observations of exoplanets.

It has a similar mass to Neptune, and allows astronomers to see into its atmosphere 50 times deeper than before.

The study’s lead researcher, Professor Lynn Dessen, from the University of… KU Leuven: “James Webb Space Telescope Revolutionizes Characterization of Exoplanets, Delivering Unprecedented Insights at Remarkable Speed.”

Finding sand, water and sulfur dioxide clouds on this delicate exoplanet is a promise MIRI to JWST A landmark event is reshaping understanding of planetary formation and evolution, shedding new light on our solar system.

From the temperature WASP-107b At around 500°C in its outer atmosphere, these silicate clouds were expected to form deep inside the planet, where temperatures are higher.

Not only that, high-altitude sand clouds tend not to stay in place for long, which is why they lag behind. WASP-107b Its atmosphere has puzzled astronomers.