JWST maps the weather on a hot gas giant 700 light-years away
Summary
Scientists used the James Webb Space Telescope to study the weather on WASP-94A b, a hot gas giant planet about 690 light-years away. They found the planet has cloudy skies in the morning and clear skies in the evening, showing that its atmosphere changes throughout the day.Key Facts
- WASP-94A b is a hot gas giant planet orbiting one star in a binary system 690 light-years from Earth.
- The planet is tidally locked, meaning one side always faces its star and the other side is always dark.
- Researchers used a special technique to look separately at the atmosphere on the planet’s morning side and evening side.
- The morning side has many high clouds and aerosols (tiny particles in the air).
- The evening side is mostly clear and shows signs of water vapor and other gases like carbon dioxide.
- The planet’s atmosphere is low density and extends far into space, making it easier to study.
- Previous methods averaged the planet’s atmosphere as if it were uniform, but this study shows it is very different in different parts.
- The study helps scientists better understand weather and chemistry on exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system.
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