{"id":154637,"date":"2023-03-25T21:51:27","date_gmt":"2023-03-25T21:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=154637"},"modified":"2023-03-31T20:03:21","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T20:03:21","slug":"webb-telescope-discovers-swirling-clouds-on-distant-exoplanet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/news\/webb-telescope-discovers-swirling-clouds-on-distant-exoplanet\/","title":{"rendered":"Webb Telescope Discovers Swirling Clouds on Distant Exoplanet"},"content":{"rendered":"           <!--  <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n                jQuery(document).ready(function() {\r\n                    jQuery(\".key-accordion-item .key-menu\").on(\"click\", function() {\r\n                        if (jQuery(this).parent().hasClass(\"active\")) {\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                        } else {\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-content\").slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-accordion-item\").removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().addClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideDown();\r\n                        }\r\n                    });\r\n                })\r\n            <\/script> -->\r\n\r\n\r\n            <!-- start html -->\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"news-key-takeaway-wapper\">\r\n                                <span style=\"background-color:#9259b9;\">Key Takeaways<\/span>\r\n                <ul class=\"news-key-nbox\" style=\"border-color:#9259b9;background-color:rgba(146, 89, 185, 0.1);\">\r\n                                                        <li>Webb Telescope reveals swirling silicate clouds in the atmosphere of distant exoplanet VHS 1256b.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>Researchers detected water, methane, carbon monoxide, and evidence of carbon dioxide on VHS 1256b.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>The exoplanet has a 22-hour day and orbits two stars at a distance four times greater than that between Pluto and the Sun.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>VHS 1256b is the most variable planetary-mass object known to date, with its atmosphere constantly rising, mixing, and moving.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>The James Webb Space Telescope is an international collaboration, equipped with cutting-edge instruments to provide unprecedented insights into the cosmos.<\/li>\r\n                                                <\/ul>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            \n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NASA&#8217;s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled fascinating insights into the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet, VHS 1256b.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The telescope&#8217;s observations revealed silicate clouds with a smoke-like consistency in the planet&#8217;s upper atmosphere and more silty clouds deeper within.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exoplanet&#8217;s atmosphere is constantly rising, mixing, and moving, with temperatures reaching up to 1,500\u00b0F (830\u00b0C).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Unique Exoplanetary System<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VHS 1256b is located approximately 40 light-years away and has an unusual orbit, circling two stars at a distance four times greater than that between Pluto and the Sun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This configuration results in a year on VHS 1256b being equivalent to 10,000 Earth years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exoplanet&#8217;s 22-hour day and its considerable distance from its host stars make it an excellent target for the Webb Space Telescope.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Unprecedented Observations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using Webb&#8217;s Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), researchers have detected water, methane, and carbon monoxide on VHS 1256b, as well as evidence of carbon dioxide.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This marks the largest number of molecules ever identified simultaneously on a planet outside our solar system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These high-resolution infrared data are pushing the limits of existing models, according to Polychronis Patapis, an astronomer at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.<\/span><\/p>\n                        <!-- <div class=\"container-c\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"row justify-content-between\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"col-post-800\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- start html -->\r\n                        <div class=\"blockquote-wapper\">\r\n                            <div>\r\n                                <span class=\"text_quot\">\r\n                                    <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With only a few hours of observations, the James Webb Space Telescope has demonstrated its immense potential for further discoveries in the years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n                                <\/span>\r\n\r\n                                <div class=\"quot_icon\">\r\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                                <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"quot_tick\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot_tri.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                        <!-- end html -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                                    \n<h2><strong>The Dynamic Atmosphere of VHS 1256b<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The planet&#8217;s low gravity and young age\u2014only 150 million years since formation\u2014allow the silicate clouds to appear and remain higher in its atmosphere, making them detectable by Webb.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The turbulence in the atmosphere is due to the constant churning of these silicate clouds, as hotter material rises and colder material descends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The resulting changes in brightness make VHS 1256b the most variable planetary-mass object known to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Future Investigations and Evolution<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers are only beginning to understand the complex data obtained from Webb&#8217;s observations, with more detailed modeling efforts expected to follow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As VHS 1256b continues to age, it will cool off, and the heavy cloud cover in its skies may dissipate, leading to a transition from a cloudy atmosphere to a clearer one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This groundbreaking discovery is part of the telescope&#8217;s Early Release Science program, which aims to advance the astronomical community&#8217;s ability to characterize planets and the disks where they form.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With only a few hours of observations, the James Webb Space Telescope has demonstrated its immense potential for further discoveries in the years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>About the James Webb Space Telescope<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the world&#8217;s most advanced space science observatory, designed to solve mysteries within our solar system, explore distant exoplanets, and delve into the origins and structures of our universe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the JWST is equipped with a much larger mirror and cutting-edge instruments, enabling it to observe in infrared wavelengths and provide unparalleled insights into the cosmos.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>International Collaboration<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The JWST is an international collaboration led by NASA, with partners including the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project has brought together the expertise of various institutions and researchers worldwide, showcasing the importance of global cooperation in advancing space science and exploration.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Key Instruments<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The telescope&#8217;s primary instruments include the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), and the Fine Guidance Sensor\/Near InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (FGS\/NIRISS).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These instruments work together to provide high-resolution imagery and spectroscopy, allowing scientists to study celestial objects in unprecedented detail.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":154634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3588],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154637"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154637\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}