First water detected on an extrasolar planet
16 April 2007
by Carina Lee
Astronomers have detected water vapour on a planet outside our solar system for the first time. Astronomers from Lowell observatory used already published data measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope combined with new theoretical models to arrive at this conclusion. Dr Barman explained “We now know that water vapour exists in the atmosphere of one extrasolar planet and there is good reason to believe that other extrasolar planets contain water vapour." As seen from Earth, the extrasolar planet HD209458b, passes precisely in front of its star every three and a half days. It is also known through extensive modelling and measurements that as a planet passes its star, different amounts of the star’s light is blocked by the planet’s atmosphere, and at different wavelengths. With specific reference to observable incidents, larger planets that absorb water from the atmosphere will make them appear even bigger across a certain wavelength region in the infra-red spectrum as opposed to the visible spectrum. Other than being completely fascinating, this finding has other scientific implications that may prove useful in the future for the extraction of resources.
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Artist impression of the planet with steam evaporating into space. Image credit: European Space Agency, Alfred Vidal-Madjar (Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, CNRS, France) and NASA.
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Related Links
Original press release from Lowell Observatory
Nature
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