JAKARTA – Astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) succeeded in finding water vapor on GJ 9827d, one of the smallest exoplanets in the Milky Way Galaxy, using the Hubble Space Telescope.
The finding of water in gaseous form in the atmosphere of GJ 9827d indicates that the exoplanet may be rich in water. Astronomers can use GJ 9827d data to look for other exoplanets that have the potential to store water.
“This will be the first time we can directly show through atmospheric detection that planets with these water-rich atmospheres can actually exist around other stars,” said Astronomer Björn Benneke.
Although the Hubble spectroscope succeeded in detecting small amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere of GJ 9827d, astronomers have not been able to determine the amount of water content on the planet. They still have to study the data first.
Currently, the team observing GJ 9827d says there are two possibilities. First, the planet may be covered in hydrogen-rich water like Mini Neptune. The second possibility is that this exoplanet contains more water than Earth.
GJ 9827d may be a warm version of Europa, a moon of Jupiter, and its water is stored beneath the planet’s crust. These two possibilities are still uncertain so astronomers must carry out further research.
“Planet GJ 9827d could be half water, half rock. There will be a lot of water vapor over the smaller rocks,” said Björn. For now, GJ 9827d is thought to have formed near a hot star with traces of water remaining in the atmosphere.
This research will take a long time because astronomers have to observe the planet during 11 transits, the process by which the planet passes between the star and the observation point, which takes three years.
Therefore, the process of determining the origin of the water and its quantity will take longer than before. At least, astronomers have found signs that this planet, which is twice the diameter of Earth, contains water.
Tag: technology space planet
2024-01-26 20:34:00
#Hubble #Telescope #Finds #Water #Vapor #Smallest #Exoplanets #Atmosphere
