Our solar organisation has a wide kind of satellite case , from tiny rocky Mercury to huge gusty gas colossus Jupiter to distant ice giant star Uranus . But beyond our own organization , there are even more type of exoplanet out there , includingwater worldscovered in ocean and where life could potentially fly high . Now , research worker using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a new and alien case of planet called a steam world , which has an atmosphere almost entirely compose of water vapor .
The major planet , call GJ 9827 d , wasexamined by the Hubble Space Telescopeearlier this year and had investigator so intrigued that they require to go back for a near spirit using Webb . They found that the planet , which is around twice the size of Earth , had a very dissimilar ambiance from the distinctive hydrogen and helium that is usually seen . Instead , it was full of red-hot steam .
“ This is the first time we ’re ever seeing something like this , ” said researcher Eshan Raul of the University of Michigan in astatement . “ To be exculpated , this planet is n’t hospitable to at least the eccentric of life that we ’re familiar with on Earth . The planet is likely made mostly of red-hot water vapor , form it something we ’re calling a ‘ steam world . ' ”
To look at the satellite ’s air , the researchers used Webb ’s Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph ( NIRISS ) instrument that can break up light into different wavelength to see what something is pen of in a technique called transmission spectroscopic analysis . This is soft to do with short elements like hydrogen and helium , so being able to use this proficiency for a lumbering element like water system stand for scientist can now protrude to look into more various planetary atmospheres .
“ Now we ’re finally pushing down into what these mysterious world with sizes between Earth and Neptune , for which we do n’t have an example in our own solar system , are in reality made of , ” say fellow researcher Ryan MacDonald . “ This is a crucial proving step towards discover atmospheres on habitable exoplanets in the years to fall . ”
As this is such a new surface area of inquiry , the uncovering want novel software program written by the squad so Raul , who is an undergraduate student , was the first person to see direct grounds that steam worlds existed .
“ It was a very phantasmagoric minute , ” said Raul , now a doctoral nominee at the University of Wisconsin - Madison . “ We were searching specifically for water reality because it was hypothecate that they could exist . If these are actual , it really makes you wonder what else could be out there . ”
The research is published inThe Astrophysical Journal Letters .
