James Webb spots gritty, silicate clouds in a distant world
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James Webb, the world's most powerful space telescope, has been providing us with breathtaking views of the universe and continues to make astounding discoveries one after the other.
So, what’s this time? The telescope peered into the turbulent atmosphere of VHS 1256 b, an exoplanet that orbits two stars every 10,000 years. This exoplanet is 19 times more massive than Jupiter and is about 40 light-years away from us. And Webb was able to generate its weather report, which indicates it to be a bizarre world!
The turbulent atmosphere
The team, led by Brittany Miles of the University of Arizona, studied the atmosphere of this exoplanet using Webb's equipped instruments.
Webb observed volatile conditions in the atmosphere of VHS 1256 b. It discovered silicate particles ranging in size from fine specks to small grains swirling in its clouds.
“The finer silicate grains in its atmosphere may be more like tiny particles in smoke. The larger grains might be more like very hot, very small sand particles,” said co-author Beth Biller of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in a statement.
This distant planet’s atmosphere is “constantly rising, mixing, and moving” throughout the day, which lasts up to 22 hours. Webb found that the temperatures can reach 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit (830 degrees Celsius) in the atmosphere, where silicate clouds are constantly churning.
The team believes its age causes its turbulent skies. The exoplanet is relatively young in astronomical terms, having formed only 150 million years ago. And its environment will continue to change.
Spotting so many features
Webb has proven its worth yet again with this observation. It used a technique known as direct imaging to collect light from the planet for the first time. The instruments then gathered spectra data, which scientists used to determine the exoplanet's composition.
“VHS 1256 b is about four times farther from its stars than Pluto is from our Sun, which makes it a great target for Webb. That means the planet’s light is not mixed with light from its stars,” said Miles.
The observations also show clear detections of water, methane, and carbon monoxide and evidence of carbon dioxide in the exoplanet's atmosphere. This is the first time the telescope has discovered so many molecules simultaneously.
The team used the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to make this observation.
Following this discovery, the team intends to learn more about this volatile world by studying the data gathered by JWST.
The details will be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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