Observing the weather conditions and the chemical composition of the atmosphere of a planet very far from the earth is now possible, thanks to a three -dimensional mapping of its structure that astronomers have achieved.
The atmosphere of a planet located at 900 light years
According to a press release published on February 18, 2025, astronomers of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) would have made the very first 3D observations of the atmosphere of Tylos, or WASP-121B, an exoplanet located at 900 years -Lumières de la earth, in the constellation of Puppis.
© ES0
First of all it is unthinkable to be able to live one day on this planet for several reasons: the atmosphere is irrespirable, then it is a gaunt giant just like Jupiter, finally a side of the planet is hot since He constantly faces a star. The planet is finally located very far from the earth.
Call the structure of a 3D atmosphere
According to the press release, astronomers used four telescopes of the very large telescope of the European Austral Observatory (ESO VLT) in order to map the structure of the atmosphere in three dimensions. Subsequently, they spotted violent winds which transported several chemical elements such as iron and titanium.
“” “The atmosphere of this planet behaves in a way that questions our understanding of the functioning of weather conditions, not only on earth, but on all planets. It feels like a science fiction film ”, explained Julia Victoria Seidel, researcher at the European Austral Observatory (ESO) in Chile.
Proxide the depths of the sparkling giant
This observation is incredible, since it is the first time “that astronomers have been able to study the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system with so much depth and details ”, According to the press release. The latter have indeed discovered that Tylos had distinct winds in separate layers, by probing the depths of the atmosphere of the sparkling giant.
“” “What we discovered is surprising: a jet current turns the material around the equator of the planet, while a separate flow at lower levels of the atmosphere moves the gas on the hot side to the colder side . This type of climate has never been observed before on any planet ”, explains Julia Victoria Seidel.
In addition, complementary observations have discovered the presence of titanium below this current, hidden in the depths of the atmosphere. However, to observe the atmosphere of a planet similar to the earth, more distant, it will take an even more powerful telescope.
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