The James Webb Space Telescope has made another extraordinary discovery. He identified sulfur in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b, a gas giant planet similar to Jupiter, located only 64 light years from Earth.
Rotten Eggs: An Unmistakable Smell
If you were on HD 189733 b, you would hear a strong smell of rotten eggs. This is because Webb detected the presence of hydrogen sulfide, a molecule containing sulfuressential for life as we know it. This gas is also found on Jupiter, but detecting it on a planet outside our solar system is a major step forward.
The hellish climate of HD 189733 smells of sulfur
HD 189733 b is not a welcoming place. Discovered in 2005, it is 13 times closer to its star compared to Mercury, with a complete orbit taking only 2 days. Temperatures reach over 900 degrees and the planet is known for its glass storms that blow at more than 8,000 kilometers per hour.
Guangwei Fu, head of the study, explained
: “Hydrogen sulfide is an important molecule that we didn’t know was there. We predicted it would be there, but we’ve never actually detected it outside the Solar System. We’re not looking for life on this planet, because it’s too hot, but finding hydrogen sulfide is a stepping stone to finding this molecule on other planets and understanding how different types of gas giants form.”
He concludes with an interesting reflection:
“Let’s suppose we find the sulfur in the atmosphere of 100 other hot Jupiters: what would that indicate about how they were born and formed compared to our own Jupiter?”
This discovery of the telescope James Webb brings us one step closer to understanding the atmospheric conditions of exoplanets and how they form. What other surprises does the universe have in store for us?
What do you think of these incredible discoveries? Are you fascinated by the idea of finding traces of essential molecules on distant planets?
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