NASA’s Hubble Telescope Discovers Water Vapour on Distant Exoplanet
In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA astronomers have made an astonishing find using the Hubble Space Telescope. They have identified the smallest exoplanet to date where water vapor has been detected in the atmosphere. This remarkable finding opens up new possibilities for the existence of water-rich atmospheres on other planets in our galaxy.
The exoplanet, named GJ 9827d, is approximately twice the size of Earth and is as scorching hot as Venus, with temperatures reaching a blistering 800 degrees Fahrenheit. It was initially discovered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope in 2017 and completes an orbit around a red dwarf star every 6.2 days. Located 97 light years away from Earth in the constellation Pisces, GJ 9827d has now become the focus of intense scientific interest.
“This would be the first time that we can directly show through atmospheric detection that these planets with water-rich atmospheres can actually exist around other stars,” said Bjorn Benneke, a member of the team from the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montreal. This groundbreaking finding marks a significant step towards understanding the prevalence and diversity of atmospheres on rocky planets.
Until now, scientists had been unable to directly detect the atmosphere of such a small planet. However, with this discovery, they are slowly entering uncharted territory. “We’re slowly getting in this regime now,” added Benneke, highlighting the exciting progress being made in exoplanet research.
The team studying GJ 9827d is currently considering two possibilities regarding its composition. It could either be a mini-Neptune, still retaining a hydrogen-rich envelope infused with water, or it might resemble a warmer version of Jupiter’s moon Europa, which harbors twice as much water as Earth beneath its crust. Benneke speculates that the exoplanet could potentially be a combination of rock and water, with a significant amount of water vapor enveloping a smaller rocky body.
To gather data on GJ 9827d, the Hubble program observed the planet during 11 transits over a span of three years. During these transits, starlight passes through the planet’s atmosphere, providing valuable information about its composition. The spectral fingerprint of water molecules was detected, confirming the presence of water vapor.
“Observing water is a gateway to finding other things,” said Thomas Greene, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. This discovery not only sheds light on the potential for water-rich atmospheres on exoplanets but also paves the way for further exploration and understanding of these distant worlds.
NASA’s focus now shifts towards uncovering the complete inventory of elements present on exoplanets. Comparing these elements to the star they orbit will provide crucial insights into the formation and evolution of these celestial bodies. The quest for knowledge about our universe continues, and each new discovery brings us closer to unraveling its mysteries.
In conclusion, NASA’s Hubble Telescope has made an extraordinary breakthrough by detecting water vapor on the exoplanet GJ 9827d. This finding opens up new possibilities for the existence of water-rich atmospheres on other planets and provides valuable insights into the prevalence and diversity of atmospheres on rocky planets. The discovery marks a significant milestone in exoplanet research and propels us further into the realm of understanding our universe.
