Astronomers have yet to discover the true nature of the planet’s atmosphere, but the new discovery itself paves the way for further investigation in an effort to understand the exploration of planets outside our solar system.
“Water on such a small planet is a significant discovery. We are closer than ever to characterizing Earth-like worlds,” said study co-author Laura Kreidberg.
The small planet is about 427 degrees Celsius hot, similar to Venus.
“This would be the first time that we can directly show, by detecting atmospheres, that these planets with water-rich atmospheres can indeed exist around other stars. This is an important step to determine the distribution and diversity of the atmosphere,” emphasizes study co-author Bjørn Benneke.
Currently, the research team cannot say whether the Hubble Space Telescope detected traces of water vapor in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere or whether the planet’s atmosphere is water-rich. Both options are equally possible because GJ 9827d’s host star evaporated the planet’s original hydrogen and helium atmosphere. However, as the scientists emphasize, any of the scenarios would be a valuable discovery.
A better understanding of the planet’s atmosphere could help astronomers classify exactly what type of planet GJ 9827d is. Currently, the research team has two versions in this regard as well.
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First, the planet is probably a mini-Neptune with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere that contains water vapor. If so, the planet probably formed further from its host star than it is now. On the other hand, the other version – the exoplanet could be a warmer version of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which contains an ocean under a thick, icy crust, that is, the planet could be made of part water and part rock.
2024-01-28 12:37:23
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