This exoplanet with glass rain smells like rotten eggs

Ashley Strickland, CNN

(CNN) — An exoplanet nan size of Jupiter has agelong intrigued astronomers because of its scorching temperatures, screaming winds and sideways rainfall made of glass. Now, information from nan James Webb Space Telescope has revealed different intriguing characteristic of nan satellite known arsenic HD 189733b: It smells for illustration rotten eggs.

Researchers studying HD 189733b’s ambiance utilized Webb’s study to spot trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide — a colorless state that releases a beardown sulfuric stench and has ne'er been spotted beyond our star system. The find advances what’s known astir nan imaginable creation of exoplanets.

The findings, compiled by a multi-institution team, were published Monday successful nan diary Nature.

An oddball satellite pinch deadly weather

Scientists first discovered HD 189733b successful 2005 and later identified nan state elephantine arsenic a “hot Jupiter” — a satellite that has a akin chemic creation to Jupiter, nan biggest satellite successful our star system, but pinch sizzling temperatures. Located only 64 light-years from Earth, HD 189733b is nan nearest basking Jupiter that astronomers tin study arsenic nan satellite passes successful beforehand of its star. For that reason, it’s 1 of nan astir well-studied exoplanets.

“HD 189733 b is not only a state elephantine planet, but besides a ‘giant’ successful nan section of exoplanets because it is 1 of nan first transiting exoplanets ever discovered,” said lead study writer Guangwei Fu, an astrophysicist astatine Johns Hopkins University, successful an email. “It is nan anchor constituent for galore of our knowing of exoplanet atmospheric chemistry and physics.”

The satellite is astir 10% larger than Jupiter, but overmuch hotter because it is 13 times person to its prima than Mercury is to our sun. HD 189733b only takes astir 2 Earth days to complete a azygous orbit astir its star, Fu said.

That proximity to nan prima gives nan satellite a searing mean somesthesia of 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (926 degrees Celsius) and beardown winds that nonstop glass-like silicate particles raining sideways from precocious clouds astir nan satellite astatine 5,000 miles per hr (8,046 kilometers per hour).

A astonishing stench

When astronomers decided to usage nan Webb scope to study nan satellite to spot what infrared light, which is invisible to nan quality eye, could uncover successful HD 189733b’s atmosphere, they were successful for a surprise.

Hydrogen sulfide is coming connected Jupiter and was predicted to beryllium connected state elephantine exoplanets, but grounds of nan molecule had been elusive extracurricular our star system, Fu said.

“Hydrogen sulfide is 1 of nan main reservoirs of sulfur wrong planetary atmospheres,” Fu said. “The precocious precision and infrared capacity from (the Webb telescope) let america to observe hydrogen sulfide for nan first clip connected exoplanets, which opens a caller spectral model into studying exoplanet atmospheric sulfur chemistry. This helps america to understand what exoplanets are made of and really they came to be.”

Additionally, nan squad spotted water, c dioxide and c monoxide successful nan planet’s atmosphere, Fu said — which intends these molecules could beryllium communal successful different state elephantine exoplanets.

While astronomers don’t expect life to beryllium connected HD 189733b because of its scorching temperatures, detecting a building artifact for illustration sulfur connected an exoplanet sheds ray connected satellite formation, Fu said.

“Sulfur is simply a captious constituent for building much analyzable molecules, and — for illustration carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphate — scientists request to study it much to afloat understand really planets are made and what they’re made of,” Fu said.

Molecules pinch chopped smells, for illustration ammonia, person been antecedently detected wrong different exoplanet atmospheres.

But Webb’s capabilities alteration scientists to place circumstantial chemicals wrong atmospheres astir exoplanets successful greater item than before.

Planetary dense metals

In our star system, crystal giants for illustration Neptune and Uranus, though little monolithic overall, incorporate much metals than nan state giants Jupiter and Saturn, which are nan largest planets, suggesting location could beryllium a relationship betwixt metallic contented and mass.

Astronomers judge that much ice, stone and metals — alternatively than gases for illustration hydrogen and helium — were progressive successful nan statement of Neptune and Uranus.

Webb’s information besides showed levels of dense metals connected HD 189733b that are akin to those recovered connected Jupiter.

“Now we person this caller measurement to show that so nan metallic concentrations (the planet) has supply a very important anchor constituent to this study of really a planet’s creation varies pinch its wide and radius,” Fu said. “The findings support our knowing of really planets shape done creating much coagulated worldly aft first halfway statement and past are people enhanced pinch dense metals.”

Now, nan squad will hunt for sulfur signatures connected different exoplanets and find whether precocious concentrations of nan compound power really intimately immoderate planets shape successful narration to their big stars.

“HD 189733b is simply a benchmark planet, but it represents conscionable a azygous information point,” Fu said. “Just arsenic individual humans grounds unsocial characteristics, our corporate behaviors travel clear trends and patterns. With much datasets from Webb to come, we purpose to understand really planets shape and if our star strategy is unsocial successful nan galaxy.”