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A cloudy Jupiter-like planet that orbits very close to its fiery hot star
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A cloudy Jupiter-like planet that orbits very close to its fiery hot star
This artists concept shows a cloudy Jupiter-like planet that orbits very close to its fiery hot star. The Spitzer Space Telescope was recently used to capture spectra, or molecular fingerprints, of two hot Jupiter worlds like the one depicted here. This is the first time a spectrum has ever been obtained for an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. The ground-breaking observations were made with Spitzers spectrograph, which pries apart infrared light into its basic wavelengths, revealing the fingerprints of molecules imprinted inside. Spitzer studied two planets, HD 209458b and HD 189733b, both of which were found, surprisingly, to have no water in the tops of their atmospheres. The results suggest that the hot planets are socked in with dry, high clouds, which are obscuring water that lies underneath. In addition, HD209458b showed hints of silicates, suggesting that the high clouds on that planet contain very fine sand-like particles. Capturing the spectra from the two hot-Jupiter planets was no easy feat. The planets cannot be distinguished from their stars and instead appear to telescopes as single blurs of light. One way to get around this is through what is known as the secondary eclipse technique. In this method, changes in the total light from a so-called transiting planet system are measured as a planet is eclipsed by its star, vanishing from our Earthly point of view. The dip in observed light can then be attributed to the planet alone. This technique, first used by Spitzer in 2005 to directly detect the light from an exoplanet, currently only works at infrared wavelengths, where the differences in brightness between the planet and star are less, and the planets light is easier to pick out
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This print showcases a cloudy Jupiter-like planet, situated perilously close to its scorching hot star. Crafted by an artist's imagination, this depiction represents a groundbreaking discovery in the field of exoplanet exploration. Utilizing the Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have successfully captured spectra or molecular fingerprints of two "hot Jupiter" worlds similar to the one portrayed here. These observations mark an unprecedented milestone as they represent the first time that spectra have been obtained for planets beyond our solar system. The Spitzer spectrograph played a pivotal role in unraveling these mysteries by dissecting infrared light into its fundamental wavelengths and revealing the hidden signatures of molecules within. Surprisingly, both studied planets - HD 209458b and HD 189733b - exhibited no traces of water at their atmospheric summits. Instead, dry high clouds shroud these scorching celestial bodies, concealing water beneath them. Additionally, HD209458b displayed indications of silicates, suggesting that fine sand-like particles reside within its lofty cloud cover. Capturing these spectra was no easy feat since distinguishing planets from their stars is challenging; they often appear as mere blurs of light through telescopes. However, employing the secondary eclipse technique allowed researchers to measure changes in total light during a planet's eclipse by its star. This method enabled them to attribute observed dips in brightness solely to the planet itself. As we delve deeper into understanding distant planetary systems through such remarkable discoveries and innovative techniques like those employed by Spitzer Space Telescope, we continue to unlock new realms and broaden our knowledge about worlds far beyond our own.
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