It is confirmed by NASA that a large amount of water is present in the atmosphere of a planet that is 700 light years away from the earth

Saturn-type planet located about 700 light-years away from the earth "WASP-39b"It turned out that a large amount of water vapor was contained in the atmosphere. It is revealed by NASA 's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope observation and is thought to be a catalyst to elucidate how a completely different star is formed from the solar system planet.

Untitled - published_AJ_WASP_39 b_paper.pdf
(PDF)http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hvi/uploads/science_paper/file_attachment/309/published_AJ_WASP_39b_paper.pdf

NASA Finds a Large Amount of Water in an Exoplanet's Atmosphere | NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-finds-a-large-amount-of-water-in-an-exoplanets-atmosphere

WASP-39b is a satellite that revolves around a star "WASP-39" and is considered to be about the same size as Saturn in the solar system. In addition, most of the composition of the planet is occupied by gas, so calledJupiter type planetIt is also considered to be a member of.

Based on the data observed with the two Space Telescopes, after removing the various noises and analyzing the wavelength of the light, it is obvious that WASP-39b has a large amount of moisture present in the atmosphere It is getting. The following graph shows the result of analyzing the composition from the wavelength of light, and it can be seen that water (H 2 0) is contained in hydrogen (H), helium (He), carbon dioxide (CO 2) I will. Also, since water is contained in the atmosphere, it is presumed that water is not present in a liquid state but exists as water vapor on this planet.


Although it was predicted that water is present in WASP - 39b, it was confirmed in this analysis that the amount of water which is three times that prediction was present, Surprises also spread among researchers. In particular, since the distance to the fixed star WASP - 39 is very close, there is so much moisture in WASP - 39 b so much that it is a mechanism completely different from the conventionally thought - It is speculated that WASP - 39b was born.

We mentioned earlier that WASP - 39b is revolving around the fixed star WASP - 39, but the distance to be noticed is its distance. The distance between the earth and the sun is "1AUHowever, the distance between WASP-39b and its stars is small0.0486 AUThere is nothing. In other words, WASP - 39b, which revolves around a star at a distance of 20 times closer than the Earth, has just reached around the star in only 4 06 days. Considering that the earth is going around the sun over about 365 days, you can see that there are unimaginable worlds there.

By the way, in the case of Mercury which is the nearest planet to the sun (star) in the solar system, the distance is about 0.39 AU. In other words, WASP-39b revolves orbit beyond Mercury. From this, WASP - 39b is exposed to the fierce light and heat energy from the stars. Also, since the rotation is completely locked by the attraction of the fixed star, WASP - 39 b is always revolving with the same surface facing the star. Therefore, the surface temperature of WASP-39b on the sun reaches 776.7 degrees Celsius. Also, as the atmosphere heated to high temperature blows as a strong wind to the back side of the planet, the entire planet is exposed to almost the same high temperature.

Under such circumstances, of course water can not exist as a liquid. Moreover, it can be said that it is extremely difficult to think that the creation of a planet containing much water under such circumstances. From here, it is considered that the formation of this planet is very unique.

A powerful theory that scientists are thinking is that the orbits change due to some cause after the first planet is born as ice collides with each other at a place far away and the place is very close to the star It is what I came.Space Telescope Science InstituteHannah Wakeford, who was the investigator and led the survey, said, "We need to see the outside world in order to know about the solar system.The extrasolar planet is the planet's birth, It is more complicated than we are thinking and shows new questions, which is wonderful! "

In the survey team, the next generation space telescope scheduled to be launched in 2019James Webb Space Telescope"We are making plans to conduct more detailed and extensive analysis by using high-performance observation equipment.


For more detailed data on WASP - 39b, you can see in detail on the following page of extra - planetary database "ExoKyoto".