Heaviset is found in the atmosphere of exoplanets

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Astronomers have discovered an unexpected chemical element high in the atmospheres of two exoplanets sizzling liquid iron Gems are falling from the sky.

The exoplanets, which orbit separate stars outside our solar system, are ultrafast gas giants called WASP-76b and WASP-121b. Astronomers used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope to detect high-altitude barium in the atmosphere of every exoplanet.

Barium is the heaviest element ever discovered in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. The Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics published a detailed study of the discovery on Thursday.

With each revelation, WASP-76b and WASP-121b seem even more bizarre to scientists.

“The confusing and counterintuitive part is: Why is there such a heavy element in the upper atmospheres of these planets?” The study’s lead author is Tomas Azevedo Silva, a doctoral student at the University of Porto and the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences In Portugal, in a statement.

“This was somehow an ‘accidental’ discovery. We weren’t expecting or looking for barium in particular and had to check if this was really coming from the planet because it hadn’t been seen on any exoplanet before.”

Both exoplanets are similar in size to Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, but their surface temperatures are extremely hot above 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius).

The high temperatures of WASP-76b and WASP-121b stem from the fact that each planet is located nearby. To its host star, it completes one orbit in about a day or two.

WASP-121b was first discovered in 2015, about 855 light-years from Earth. The exoplanet contains a glowing atmosphere of water vapor, and the intense gravitational force of the star orbiting it deforms it into the shape of a football.

The planet is gradual locked, which means that the same side of the planet is always facing the star. This is similar to how our moon orbits the Earth. On the day side, temperatures start at 4,040 F (2,227 C) in the deepest layer of the atmosphere and reach 5,840 F (3,227 C) in the upper layer.

Scientists first discovered WASP-76b in 2016. It orbits a star in the constellation Pisces 640 light years from Earth. This exoplanet is also gradually closed, so on its daily side, which faces the star, temperatures exceed 4,400 Fahrenheit (2,426 Celsius).

The sizzling nature of the outer planets has given them unusual features and weather that looks Like something out of science fiction. Scientists believe liquid iron is falling from the sky on WASP-76b, while liquid mineral and gem clouds are forming on WASP-121b.

The discovery of barium in the upper atmosphere of each planet surprised researchers. The element is two and a half times heavier than iron.

“Given the high gravity of the planets, we expect heavy elements such as barium to rapidly fall into the lower layers of the atmosphere,” said study co-author Olivier Demangon, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Porto and the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences. In Portugal, in a statement.

The finding of barium in the atmospheres of both exoplanets may indicate that the super-hot gas giants have more unusual features than previously thought.

On Earth, barium appears in the night sky as a vibrant green when fireworks go off. But scientists aren’t sure of the natural process that causes the heavy element to rise high in the atmosphere of these gas giants.

The research team used the ESPRESSO instrument, or Echelle Spectrograph for rocky exoplanets and stable spectroscopic observations, installed in The Very Large Telescope in Chile, to study starlight as it passes through each planet’s atmosphere.

“Because it is gaseous and hot, its atmosphere is very elongated, and therefore easier to observe and study than those on smaller or cooler planets,” Demangon said.

Future telescopes will also be able to spy in more detail within the atmospheres of exoplanets, including rocky rocks similar to Earth, to unlock the mysteries of unusual worlds across the galaxy.