Astronomers find hot, windy exoplanets
Posted: Fri, May 11, 2007, 7:54 AM ET (1154 GMT)
Scientists announced this week that they have found an extrasolar planet that is the hottest yet found, and another that may have extremely powerful winds. One team of astronomers used the Spitzer Space Telescope to measure the temperature of exoplanet HD 149026b by measuring the decrease in infrared light from the star system when the planet moved behind the star as seen from Earth. That data showed that the planet, smaller but more massive than Saturn, has a temperature of about 2,000 degrees Celsius, hotter than any other known planet. Astronomers suspect that the planet has an extremely low albedo, allowing it absorb nearly all the light from its star and giving it a black appearance. Another team of astronomers used Spitzer to construct a crude brightness map another exoplanet, HD 189733b. The found that the brightest spot on the planet was not at the sub-solar point but instead offset by 30 degrees, suggesting that strong winds were transferring heat in the planet's atmosphere. Computer models indicate that the winds could approach 10,000 km/h, about 30 times faster than the jet stream in the Earth's atmosphere.
Scientists announced this week that they have found an extrasolar planet that is the hottest yet found, and another that may have extremely powerful winds. One team of astronomers used the Spitzer Space Telescope to measure the temperature of exoplanet HD 149026b by measuring the decrease in infrared light from the star system when the planet moved behind the star as seen from Earth. That data showed that the planet, smaller but more massive than Saturn, has a temperature of about 2,000 degrees Celsius, hotter than any other known planet. Astronomers suspect that the planet has an extremely low albedo, allowing it absorb nearly all the light from its star and giving it a black appearance. Another team of astronomers used Spitzer to construct a crude brightness map another exoplanet, HD 189733b. The found that the brightest spot on the planet was not at the sub-solar point but instead offset by 30 degrees, suggesting that strong winds were transferring heat in the planet's atmosphere. Computer models indicate that the winds could approach 10,000 km/h, about 30 times faster than the jet stream in the Earth's atmosphere.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA releases report on Starliner crewed test flight problems
Posted: Sun, Feb 22 11:45 AM ET (1645 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, February 23
The space race is being rewritten by AI – and Europe risks falling behind
EU-Startups — 5:38 am ET (1038 GMT) Space Solar Power Will Inevitably Trump Trump’s War On Solar Power
CleanTechnica — 5:34 am ET (1034 GMT) Foushee outlines space policy at Duke amid competitive primary election
Duke Univ. Chronicle — 5:32 am ET (1032 GMT) How the free market can free NASA from the Space Launch System
The Hill — 5:28 am ET (1028 GMT) ESA Awards Contracts for Lunar Remote Camp Studies
European Spaceflight — 5:26 am ET (1026 GMT) |
