Exoplanet WASP-69b’s Evaporating Atmosphere Creates a Comet-like Tail, Researchers Say

was standing: February 6, 2024 at 19:17

from: Kilian Baumel

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Researchers are currently excited about the celestial phenomenon where the evaporating atmosphere turns into the tail of an exoplanet.

FRANKFURT – Researchers are now marveling at a real phenomenon in the sky, because the giant exoplanet WASP-69b orbits so closely around a star that its atmosphere evaporates and looks like a tail in the sky, like a comet. Previous research showed that exoplanets have rather weak tails. “However, we have now conclusively detected this tail and shown that it is at least seven times longer than the planet itself,” said Dakota Tyler, a doctoral student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and lead author of the study. . Trade magazine Astrophysical Journal Has been published.

Researchers have noticed a rare event in the sky: an exoplanet trailing its tail

Despite its impressive length, the exoplanet WASP-69b itself is the same size as Jupiter – the largest planet in our solar system. After its discovery about ten years ago, it became known as “Hot Jupiter”. This is a very large gas planet. based on University of California Announcement This exoplanet is so close to its star that its orbit takes less than four days. The planet closest to the sun in our solar system – Mercury – takes 88 days to complete its orbit, or about 22 times longer.

Evaporating atmosphere becomes exoplanet tail: ‘WASP-69b is a gem’

We already know that most planets orbit their stars at closer distances than in our solar system, said Eric Petigura, co-author and professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, California. Atmospheric erosion plays a major role in explaining various types of planets. Exoplanets can vary greatly from one another, with some planets being denser than steel and others more like cotton candy.

There are so many things to discover in the universe. (Avatar) © IMAGO/Pond5 Images

For most known exoplanets, atmospheric loss is thought to have occurred long ago. This is what makes the discovery of exoplanet tails so interesting to research. “WASP-69b is a gem because we have the rare opportunity to study atmospheric mass loss in real time and understand the critical physics that formed thousands of other planets,” Petigura said.

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Exoplanets are planets located outside our solar system. The first syllable of the word “Exo” is Latin and roughly translates as “outside”, which in this case means outside our solar system. Exoplanets are all planets outside our solar system.

The tail of an exoplanet is visible, a rare opportunity for research

Hydrogen and helium in particular are said to evaporate from exoplanet atmospheres. Radiation and outflows of gas from its star, called stellar winds, form hundreds of thousands of kilometers across. The tail is formed “when the planet’s expelling atmosphere encounters the star’s wind, causing the gas to be blown back,” Petigura explained. The exoplanet WASP-69b can be observed using the James Webb Telescope providing new insights into the universe.

This surprise is hidden in a picture taken by the James Webb Telescope

See a series of pictures

But it is unlikely that this planet will disappear. Even if the exoplanet loses a lot of mass, researchers don’t expect it to evaporate completely. Tyler explained that the mass of the planet is estimated to be 90 times the mass of Earth.

2024-02-06 20:12:53
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