Recent findings on the exoplanet named WASP-107b have uncovered a strange and unusual world that has intrigued astronomers since its discovery in 2017. The giant gas planet located 200 million lightyears away with a “fluffy” and light composition resembling cotton candy, has been discovered through recent observations to be an even stranger world than previously understood. Thanks to data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, European astronomers have been able to draw conclusions about the atmospheric composition of the Neptune-like gas giant. They found that the exoplanet’s atmosphere is more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s home to sandy clouds high in the atmosphere that can fall like rain onto its surface. These findings, published in June in the journal Nature, were announced on Wednesday.
Despite being the size of Jupiter, WASP-107b only has 12% of Jupiter’s mass. The exoplanet orbits a star slightly cooler and less massive than our sun. Moreover, the European astronomers were able to look deep into the exoplanet’s atmosphere, unlike Jupiter, due to its ‘fluffy’ composition.
Data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope provided the European researchers with the opportunity to study and unravel the complex chemical composition of the gaseous planet’s atmosphere. The team discovered the presence of water vapor and sulfur dioxide, but found no trace of the greenhouse gas methane, indicating a potential that the planet has a warm interior. Sulfur dioxide was also found, which surprised and led to the explanation of the planet’s “fluffiness”, revealed by the scientists.
Moreover, they made the fascinating observation that the exoplanet is home to high-altitude silicate sand clouds that condense and fall into the planet’s hotter interior and then evaporate back up to again form clouds. This phenomenon is very similar to the cycle of water vapor on Earth, with droplets made of sand. The European astronomers used the Webb telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to conduct their observations, adding to the long list of groundbreaking discoveries made possible by this advanced technology.
The recent discoveries on WASP-107b have reshaped scientists’ understanding of planetary formation and evolution, shedding new light on our own solar system. The James Webb Space Telescope continues to revolutionize our knowledge of the cosmos, pushing the boundaries of what we know about the universe.
