PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Researchers use Hubble Telescope to reveal cloudy weather on alien world

2013-12-31
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Steve Koppes
skoppes@uchicago.edu
773-569-0502
University of Chicago
Researchers use Hubble Telescope to reveal cloudy weather on alien world

Weather forecasters on exoplanet GJ 1214b would have an easy job. Today's forecast: cloudy. Tomorrow: overcast. Extended outlook: more clouds.

A team of scientists led by researchers in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago report they have definitively characterized the atmosphere of a super-Earth class planet orbiting another star for the first time.

The scrutinized planet, which is known as GJ1214b, is classified as a super-Earth type planet because its mass is intermediate between those of Earth and Neptune. Recent searches for planets around other stars ("exoplanets") have shown that super-Earths like GJ 1214b are among the most common type of planets in the Milky Way galaxy. Because no such planets exist in our Solar System, the physical nature of super-Earths is largely unknown.

Previous studies of GJ 1214b yielded two possible interpretations of the planet's atmosphere. Its atmosphere could consist entirely of water vapor or some other type of heavy molecule, or it could contain high-altitude clouds that prevent the observation of what lies underneath.

But now a team of astronomers led by UChicago's Laura Kreidberg and Jacob Bean have detected clear evidence of clouds in the atmosphere of GJ 1214b from data collected with the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble observations used 96 hours of telescope time spread over 11 months. This was the largest Hubble program ever devoted to studying a single exoplanet.

The researchers describe their work as an important milestone on the road to identifying potentially habitable, Earth-like planets beyond our Solar System. The results appear in the Jan. 2 issue of the journal Nature.

"We really pushed the limits of what is possible with Hubble to make this measurement," said Kreidberg, a third-year graduate student and first author of the new paper. "This advance lays the foundation for characterizing other Earths with similar techniques."

"I think it's very exciting that we can use a telescope like Hubble that was never designed with this in mind, do these kinds of observations with such exquisite precision, and really nail down some property of a small planet orbiting a distant star," explained Bean, an assistant professor and the project's principal investigator.

GJ 1214b is located just 40 light-years from Earth, in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus. Because of its proximity to our solar system and the small size of its host star, GJ 1214b is the most easily observed super-Earth. It transits, or passes in front of its parent star, every 38 hours, giving scientists an opportunity to study its atmosphere as starlight filters through it.

Kreidberg, Bean and their colleagues used Hubble to precisely measure the spectrum of GJ 1214b in near-infrared light, finding what they consider definitive evidence of high clouds blanketing the planet. These clouds hide any information about the composition and behavior of the lower atmosphere and surface.

The planet was discovered in 2009 by the MEarth Project, which monitors two thousand red dwarf stars for transiting planets. The planet was next targeted for follow-up observations to characterize its atmosphere. The first spectra, which were obtained by Bean in 2010 using a ground-based telescope, suggested that the planet's atmosphere either was predominantly water vapor or hydrogen-dominated with high-altitude clouds.

More precise Hubble observations made in 2012 and 2013 allowed the team to distinguish between these two scenarios. The news is about what they didn't find. The Hubble spectra revealed no chemical fingerprints whatsoever in the planet's atmosphere. This allowed the astronomers to rule out cloud-free atmospheres made of water vapor, methane, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, or carbon dioxide.

The best explanation for the new data is that there are high-altitude clouds in the atmosphere of the planet, though their composition is unknown. Models of super-Earth atmospheres predict clouds could be made out of potassium chloride or zinc sulfide at the scorching temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit found on GJ 1214b. "You would expect very different kinds of clouds to form than you would expect, say, on Earth," Kreidberg said.

The launch of NASA's next major space telescope, the 6.5m James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), later this decade should reveal more about such worlds, Kreidberg said. "Looking forward, JWST will be transformative," she said. "The new capabilities of this telescope will allow us to peer through the clouds on planets like GJ 1214b. But more than that, it may open the door to studies of Earth-like planets around nearby stars."



INFORMATION:



Citation: "Clouds in the atmosphere of the super-Earth exoplanet GJ 1214b," by Laura Kreidberg, Jacob L. Bean, Jean-Michel Désert, Björn Benneke, Drake Deming, Kevin B. Stevenson, Sara Seager, Zachory Berta-Thompson, Andreas Seifahrt, & Derek Homeier.

Funding: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and European Research Council.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Hyperhomocysteinemia patients with dyslipidemia are more likely to have stroke

2013-12-31
Hyperhomocysteinemia patients with dyslipidemia are more likely to have stroke Hyperhomocysteinemia and abnormal blood lipids are independent risk factors for stroke. However, whether both factors exert a synergistic effect in the onset of stroke remains unclear. ...

Fetal umbilical vein for reconstruction of middle cerebral artery

2013-12-31
Fetal umbilical vein for reconstruction of middle cerebral artery Umbilical vein has been substituted for artery in vascular transplantation, but it remains unclear whether the stress relaxation and creep between these vessels are consistent. A recent study reported ...

PLGA tubes are superior to autologous nerve graft for repaired sciatic nerve

2013-12-31
PLGA tubes are superior to autologous nerve graft for repaired sciatic nerve The viscoelasticity of natural and artificial biomaterials can be suitable for human physiological function by matching stress relaxation and creep properties. Dr. Chengdong Piao and ...

Large-aperture planar lens antennas with gradient refractive index

2013-12-31
Large-aperture planar lens antennas with gradient refractive index It was recently shown that large-aperture lens antennas can be designed by using gradient-index (GRIN) metamaterials and that higher directivity and gain can be obtained than with traditional dielectric lens antennas. ...

Cloud mystery solved: Global temperatures to rise at least 4°C by 2100

2013-12-31
Cloud mystery solved: Global temperatures to rise at least 4°C by 2100 Cloud impact on climate sensitivity unveiled

Finnish research team reveals how emotions are mapped in the body

2013-12-31
Finnish research team reveals how emotions are mapped in the body Researchers Aalto University have revealed how emotions are experienced in the body Researchers Aalto University have revealed how emotions are experienced in the body. Emotions adjust our ...

Competition in a rough neighborhood: Plant success in a desert environment

2013-12-31
Competition in a rough neighborhood: Plant success in a desert environment Water use efficiency and relative growth rate govern competitive interactions in desert winter annuals Many people think of deserts as inhospitable places devoid of life, but numerous plants ...

Loyola bioethics study finds medical students concerned about desensitization to dying patients

2013-12-31
Loyola bioethics study finds medical students concerned about desensitization to dying patients Loyola's Neiswanger Institute study finds medical students concerned about becoming insensitive when dealing with a dying patient MAYWOOD, Ill. – The imminent death ...

New studies give strong boost to binary-star formation theory

2013-12-31
New studies give strong boost to binary-star formation theory VLA observations support 1 competing explanation for how double stars are formed Using the new capabilities of the upgraded Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), scientists have discovered previously-unseen ...

Final recommendations on lung cancer screening

2013-12-31
Final recommendations on lung cancer screening Embargoed news from Annals of Intenral Medicine Final word: Task Force says screen high-risk populations for lung cancer High-risk adults between the ages of 55 and 80 should receive annual lung cancer screening ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

[Press-News.org] Researchers use Hubble Telescope to reveal cloudy weather on alien world