Astronomers Glimpse a Bloated and Asymmetrical Exoplanet
Representation of the shape of the exoplanet WASP-107b. X/ @DavidUllrich202
September 24, 2024 Hour: 5:36 am
The exoplanet WASP-107b has very low density and relatively low gravity, resulting in a more inflated atmosphere.
An international team of astronomers, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, has glimpsed an especially inflated and asymmetric exoplanet, revealing a significant difference between the two edges of its atmosphere.
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The exoplanet observations were carried out by astronomers from the University of Arizona, along with researchers from other research centers. The results of the study were published by the journal Nature Astronomy on Tuesday.
Thanks to the space telescope, scientists have been able to observe the atmosphere of a hot and uniquely inflated exoplanet, which is the size of Jupiter but only one-tenth of its mass. The planet shows a pronounced asymmetry between the eastern and western sides of its atmosphere.
The east-west asymmetry of an exoplanet refers to differences in atmospheric characteristics, such as temperature or cloud properties, observed between the planet’s eastern and western hemispheres.
Determining whether this asymmetry exists is crucial for understanding the climate, atmospheric dynamics, and weather patterns of planets beyond the solar system.
The exoplanet “WASP-107b” is unique because it has very low density and relatively low gravity, resulting in a more inflated atmosphere than what other exoplanets with similar mass would have. Researchers have been observing exoplanets for nearly two decades, and many observations, both from the ground and space, have helped astronomers guess what the atmosphere of exoplanets might be like.
The scientists found that the exoplanet WASP-107b has a temperature of approximately 890 degrees Fahrenheit, an intermediate temperature between solar system planets and the hottest exoplanets known to date.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE