The James Webb Space Telescope is a powerful observatory that can be successfully used to “look” into the atmospheres of exoplanets, that is, planets outside the solar system, of which several thousand have already been discovered. One of these goals of scientists became the so-called scientist WASP-107B An interesting discovery was made there.
WASP-107b is an exoplanet the size of Jupiter, but only about 12 percent of its mass. It is a light and gentle world that exists About 200 light-years away One year there lasts only 6 days. This is because the planet is very close to its star, which is smaller and cooler than the Sun.
The James Webb Space Telescope allowed us to delve into this world’s atmosphere and get there first Sulfur dioxide has been found (This is what we feel after lighting the match.) Then they found very interesting clouds located high above the surface of the exoplanet. Small particles of silicates are found in its composition. In fact it is Very fine sand.
According to scientists, the presence of sand in the clouds of the exoplanet WASP-107b has a similar origin to water vapor on Earth. They are simply created by various materials present in the atmosphere of this world. This is due to the fact that the planet is very hot and has fine sand When it falls, it turns into silicate vapor, which causes it to move to the upper layers.
“The James Webb Space Telescope is revolutionizing the characterization of exoplanets, providing unprecedented insights at extraordinary speed,” lead study author Lyne Dessen of the University of Leuven in Belgium said in a press release.
The James Webb Space Telescope will celebrate its second anniversary in space in just over a month. It was launched at the end of December 2021 and scientific work began a few months later. Exoplanet observations aim to help scientists understand the evolution of the solar system, which looked different a few billion years ago than it does today. The recent discovery of clouds of sand, water and sulfur dioxide on a thin exoplanet is a milestone in research that will help us better understand the planet’s formation, according to scientists.
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