Weather Map Of Distant Planet-Like Object With Clouds Of Hot Dust And Droplets Of Molten Iron

| November 8, 2015 | Astronomy | No Comments

MessageToEagle.com – Weather patterns in a mysterious world beyond our solar system have been revealed for the first time, according to a  study conducted by a team of astronomers led by the University of Edinburgh.

Layers of clouds, made up of hot dust and droplets of molten iron, have been detected on a planet-like object found 75 light years from Earth, say researchers.

Findings from the study could improve scientists’ ability to find out if conditions in far-off planets are capable of sustaining life.

An extrasolar object 75 light-years away that does not appear to have a host star. This is an artist’s impression. Image credit: MPIA/V.Ch.Quetz.
An extrasolar object 75 light-years away that does not appear to have a host star. This is an artist’s impression. Image credit: MPIA/V.Ch.Quetz.

University researchers used a telescope in Chile to study the weather systems in the distant world – known as PSO J318.5-22 – which is estimated to be around 20 million-years-old and was discovered in 2013.

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They captured hundreds of infra-red images of the object as it rotated over a 5-hour period.

By comparing the brightness of PSO J318.5-22 with neighbouring bodies, the team discovered that it is covered in multiple layers of thick and thin cloud.

Multicolor image from the Pan-STARRS1 telescope of the free-floating planet PSO J318.5-22, in the constellation of Capricornus. The planet is extremely cold and faint, about 100 billion times fainter in optical light than the planet Venus. Most of its energy is emitted at infrared wavelengths. The image is 125 arcseconds on a side. Credit: N. Metcalfe & Pan-STARRS 1 Science Consortium.
Multicolor image from the Pan-STARRS1 telescope of the free-floating planet PSO J318.5-22, in the constellation of Capricornus. The planet is extremely cold and faint, about 100 billion times fainter in optical light than the planet Venus. Most of its energy is emitted at infrared wavelengths. The image is 125 arcseconds on a side. Credit: N. Metcalfe & Pan-STARRS 1 Science Consortium.

The far-off world is around the same size as Jupiter – the largest planet in our solar system – but is roughly eight times more massive, the team says.

Temperatures inside clouds on PSO J318.5-22 exceed 800°C, researchers say.

The team was able to accurately measure changes in brightness on PSO J318.5-22 because it does not orbit a star.

Stars like our sun emit huge amounts of light, which can complicate measurements made of the brightness of objects orbiting them, researchers say.

Such techniques may eventually be applicable to cooler, lower mass planets, which are more likely to be capable of supporting life.

The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, was funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. The work also involved institutions in the US, Germany, France and Spain.

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source: University of Edinburgh

Scientific paper

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