A team of astronomers, including scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the PlanetS National Center of Competence in Research, has made an exciting discovery about an exoplanet called WASP-76 b.
This planet, often called an “ultra-hot Jupiter,” has temperatures that soar above 2,000 degrees Celsius, creating extreme weather conditions.
Researchers have been studying WASP-76 b since its discovery in 2013, and it has been a prime target for scientists due to its bizarre and intense atmosphere.
In previous studies, they found evidence of iron rain falling on its night side, the presence of the element barium in its upper atmosphere, and even a “rainbow” effect at the line separating its day and night sides.
In their most recent study, scientists detected powerful winds carrying iron across the planet’s day side.
These “iron winds” offer new insights into the strange weather patterns of this distant world, providing more clues about how planets with extreme climates behave.
WASP-76 b is a gas giant, similar to Jupiter in our solar system, but much hotter due to its close proximity to its star.
Its day side reaches scorching temperatures of 2,400 degrees Celsius, making it too hot for clouds to form. On this side of the planet, scientists have discovered that iron atoms are being blown from the lower atmosphere to the upper layers.
This new discovery was made by studying WASP-76 b using a high-tech instrument called ESPRESSO, located at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. ESPRESSO is known for its ability to measure light with great precision.
By analyzing the light from WASP-76 b, the team was able to detect the movement of iron atoms in the atmosphere. This method, called high-resolution emission spectroscopy, is a powerful tool for studying the chemical makeup and dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres.
The discovery of these iron winds helps scientists build a clearer picture of how the atmosphere of WASP-76 b behaves.
These winds are likely driven by a hot spot in the planet’s atmosphere, and they provide important clues about the overall climate of the planet.
As astronomers continue to study WASP-76 b, they are developing better models of how extreme climates work on gas giants like this one.
Understanding the climate of WASP-76 b could one day help scientists predict similar weather patterns on other distant planets, providing a window into the wild and varied worlds that exist outside our solar system.
