2023-10-22 21:34:27
Webb telescope finds strange particles in planet's alien clouds
Quartz, a mineral abundant on Earth's surface, has been discovered zipping through the clouds of a giant gas planet located 1,300 light-years away. The James Webb Space Telescope, renowned as the most powerful observatory in space, captured evidence of pure quartz particles in the atmosphere of planet WASP-17 b. This groundbreaking finding provides valuable insight into the composition of alien atmospheres and expands our understanding of distant planets and solar systems.
Get a Free Speed Boost on Your Internet Connection: The One Surprising Trick Virgin Media Users Need to Try Now"We were thrilled!" exclaimed David Grant, a scientist from the University of Bristol who participated in the research. The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, utilized a spectrograph instrument onboard the Webb telescope to analyze the light passing through WASP-17 b's atmosphere. This innovative method known as "transmission spectroscopy" allowed astronomers to identify the presence of quartz and other elements in the planet's clouds.
Strange Quartz Particles Alter Conventional Understanding of Planet Composition
The identified quartz particles in the atmosphere of WASP-17 b are expected to be incredibly small, measuring about one-millionth of a centimeter. These particles likely resemble the hexagonal prisms found in geodes and gem shops on Earth but may have formed within the scorching atmosphere of the gas giant rather than on its surface.
Is your Wi-Fi speed being murdered? The common mistake all BT broadband users must check todayStudying planets like WASP-17 b enables astronomers to catalog the diverse constituents of other planetary systems and determine their potential habitability. However, as a "hot Jupiter," WASP-17 b is not considered a suitable environment for the development of life.
An artist's conception of the gas giant planet WASP-17 b.
Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / R. Crawford / (STScI) Science: Nikole Lewis (Cornell University) / David Grant (University of Bristol) / Hannah Wakeford (University of Bristol) Crawford (STScI)
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The transmission spectroscopy of WASP-17 b, showing pure quartz in the planet's clouds.
Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / R. Crawford / (STScI) Science: Nikole Lewis (Cornell University) / David Grant (University of Bristol) / Hannah Wakeford (University of Bristol) Crawford (STScI)
The Webb Telescope's Remarkable Capabilities
The James Webb Space Telescope, in collaboration with NASA, the ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency, is no ordinary observatory. It not only offers profound insights into the early universe but also uncovers intriguing mysteries within our own galaxy and solar system.
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Boasting a mirror spanning over 21 feet, the Webb telescope exceeds the size of the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror by more than two and a half times. This massive mirror enables the capture of more light, enabling observations of increasingly distant and ancient objects. With the telescope trained on stars and galaxies formed over 13 billion years ago, shortly after the Big Bang, astrophysicists anticipate encountering the very first celestial bodies in the cosmos.
Infrared Vision Expands Cosmic Exploration
In contrast to Hubble, which predominantly detects visible light, the Webb telescope primarily operates in the infrared spectrum. Infrared wavelengths are longer than visible light, enabling this advanced telescope to penetrate cosmic clouds more effectively. The infrared view offers unprecedented access to regions that Hubble cannot reach, greatly enhancing our understanding of the vast universe.
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The Webb telescope carries state-of-the-art spectrograph instruments, revolutionizing the investigation of distant exoplanets. These powerful tools can analyze the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres, identifying the presence of molecules like water, carbon dioxide, and methane. By studying exoplanets within the Milky Way galaxy, the telescope provides astronomers with invaluable knowledge about the potential habitability of other worlds.
"We might learn things we never thought about," remarked Mercedes López-Morales, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian. Already, the telescope has yielded fascinating discoveries, including chemical reactions on a planet 700 light-years away and examinations of the TRAPPIST solar system's rocky, Earth-sized planets.
If you would like to know other articles similar to Webb Telescope Discovers Unusual Particles in Exotic Planet's Atmosphere updated this year 2024 you can visit the category Breaking Tech News.
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