Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The James Webb Space Telescope achieves a groundbreaking feat by mapping the weather on a distant planet characterized by extreme temperatures, where daytime highs reach a scorching 1,250 degrees Celsius, and nighttime lows plummet to 600 degrees Celsius.
Utilizing the world’s most potent observatory, astronomers uncover intriguing weather patterns on WASP-43 b, a gas giant similar in size to Jupiter but significantly hotter. The planet orbits a star smaller and cooler than the Sun, at a distance 1/25th that of Mercury from the Sun.
Webb’s observations reveal the presence of thick, high clouds on the nightside and clear skies on the dayside of WASP-43 b. Equatorial winds exceeding 5,000 miles per hour contribute to the mixing of atmospheric gases, facilitating the transport of heat from the dayside to the nightside.
WASP-43 b is tidally locked with its star, resulting in one side being continuously illuminated while the other remains in perpetual darkness. Despite the absence of direct radiation on the nightside, strong eastward winds redistribute heat from the dayside.
The study, published in Nature Astronomy, highlights the necessity of precise measurements from Webb to map temperature variations, cloud cover, winds, and atmospheric composition across the entire planet. Previous observations by Hubble and Spitzer hinted at water vapor and clouds but lacked the precision offered by Webb.
With an orbital period of 19.5 hours around its star, WASP-43 b experiences extreme temperature differentials, with daytime temperatures reaching approximately 1,250 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures dropping to around 600 degrees Celsius.
Webb’s observations also enable astronomers to map the distribution of water vapor (H2O) and methane (CH4) around the planet, providing valuable insights into the atmospheric composition and abundance of key molecules.
The ability to map temperature variations and atmospheric constituents on distant exoplanets showcases the sensitivity and stability of the James Webb Space Telescope, offering astronomers unprecedented opportunities to unravel the mysteries of alien worlds.