Space
Water Found In the Atmosphere Of Exoplanet 51 Pegasi b
Elaine Hannah
First Posted: Feb 02, 2017 03:05 AM EST
The astronomers have found water molecules in the atmosphere of a hot Jupiter referred to as 51 Pegasi b or 51 Peg b. This is the first exoplanet to have found water in its atmosphere. On the other hand, it is the first non-transiting one.
The findings of the discovery were published on arXiv.org on Jan. 25, 2017. The researchers stated that they have presented a 5,6σ detection of water molecules in the atmosphere of the original hot Jupiter, 51 Peg b, providing the first confirmation that the 51 Peg Ab system is a double-lined spectroscopic binary. They further stated that the best matching model to the planet spectra from their grid contained molecular features from water only, with a volume mixing ratio of VMR (H20) = 10â´, according to Phys.org.
The team used the Cryogenic High-resolution InfraRed Echelle Spectrograph (CRIRES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. They found a total of 42 spectra that allowed them to monitor the radial-velocity shift of the water in the dayside atmosphere of the planet. They also searched for molecular features that arose from the expected major carbon and oxygen-bearing gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
This new discovery on exoplanet 51 Pegasi b could bring new views on the nature of the exoworld's atmosphere. It also suggests that the star-planet system is a double-lined spectroscopic binary.
51 Pegasi b or 51 Peg b is dubbed as Bellerophon. It is an extrasolar planet that is about 50 lightyears away in the constellation of Pegasus. This is the first exoplanet that orbits a main-sequence star known as the Sun-like 51 Pegasi. It is also a class of planets known as hot Jupiters.
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First Posted: Feb 02, 2017 03:05 AM EST
The astronomers have found water molecules in the atmosphere of a hot Jupiter referred to as 51 Pegasi b or 51 Peg b. This is the first exoplanet to have found water in its atmosphere. On the other hand, it is the first non-transiting one.
The findings of the discovery were published on arXiv.org on Jan. 25, 2017. The researchers stated that they have presented a 5,6σ detection of water molecules in the atmosphere of the original hot Jupiter, 51 Peg b, providing the first confirmation that the 51 Peg Ab system is a double-lined spectroscopic binary. They further stated that the best matching model to the planet spectra from their grid contained molecular features from water only, with a volume mixing ratio of VMR (H20) = 10â´, according to Phys.org.
The team used the Cryogenic High-resolution InfraRed Echelle Spectrograph (CRIRES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. They found a total of 42 spectra that allowed them to monitor the radial-velocity shift of the water in the dayside atmosphere of the planet. They also searched for molecular features that arose from the expected major carbon and oxygen-bearing gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
This new discovery on exoplanet 51 Pegasi b could bring new views on the nature of the exoworld's atmosphere. It also suggests that the star-planet system is a double-lined spectroscopic binary.
51 Pegasi b or 51 Peg b is dubbed as Bellerophon. It is an extrasolar planet that is about 50 lightyears away in the constellation of Pegasus. This is the first exoplanet that orbits a main-sequence star known as the Sun-like 51 Pegasi. It is also a class of planets known as hot Jupiters.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone