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Astronomers have mapped exoplanet WASP-121b

Astronomers have been mapping exoplanet atmospheres for some time, but a good look at their night sides has proven elusive. In fact, it has been that way until today. The bottom line is that as part of a long-term study led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the first detailed look at the dark side of the hot Jupiter exoplanet has finally been presented, created by mapping the temperature of WASP-121b depending on altitude and levels of water presence.

And because this really distant planet, 850 light-years away, is tidally locked to its parent star, the differences on the bright side couldn’t be sharper. The dark side of the planet contributes to an extremely rapid water cycle. While the day side “rips the water apart” with temperatures above 4940F, the night side is quite cool – “only” 2780F maximum. Due to recombination, as a result, water atoms are scattered around the planet at a speed of more than 17.702 kilometers per hour.

And yes, this dark side is also cool enough to have clouds of iron and corundum, which is the mineral in rubies and sapphires. What’s more, you can even see a rain of liquid gems and titanium as the steam cools off the day side. In any case, the researchers have already collected all the data they need using Hubble Space Telescope spectroscopy for two orbits in 2018 and 2019. Many scientists have used this method to study the bright sides of exoplanets, but to observe the dark side, in case you’re not in the know, you need to detect really small changes in the spectral line that indicate water vapor.

This line helped the scientists create temperature maps, which led the team to model and analyze those very maps to help identify likely chemicals. And if we refer specifically to the official data of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, then this is the first detailed study of the global atmosphere of an exoplanet. Such a truly comprehensive view should help explain exactly where “hot Jupiters” like WASP-121b might form. And while a Jovian world like this is clearly too dangerous for humans, a closer look at exoplanet atmospheres could help in the search for truly habitable planets.

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