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Credit & Copyright: European Space Agency,
Alfred Vidal-Madjar
(Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris,
CNRS),
NASA
Explanation:
Planet HD 209458b is evaporating.
It is so close to its parent star that its heated atmosphere is simply expanding
away into space.
Some astronomers studying this distant planetary system now believe they have detected
water vapor among the gases being liberated.
This controversial claim,
if true, would mark the first instance of planetary water beyond our Solar System,
and indicate anew that life might be sustainable elsewhere in the universe.
HD 209458b is known as a
hot Jupiter
type system because it involves a Jupiter-type planet in a Mercury-type orbit.
Although
spectroscopic
observations from the Hubble Space Telescope
are the basis for the water detection claim,
the planetary system is too small and faint to image.
Therefore, an artist's impression of the HD 209458b system is
shown above.
Research into the atmospheric composition of
HD 209458b and other
extrasolar planets
is continuing.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: extrasolar planet - water
Publications with words: extrasolar planet - water
See also:
- APOD: 2024 July 8 Á Exoplanet Zoo: Other Stars
- Temperatures on Exoplanet WASP 43b
- Epsilon Tauri: Star with Planet
- APOD: 2023 October 17 Á PDS 70: Disk, Planets, and Moons
- APOD: 2023 September 20 Á Methane Discovered on Distant Exoplanet
- APOD: 2023 June 6 Á Star Eats Planet
- APOD: 2023 February 1 Á The Seventh World of Trappist 1