The exoplanet WASP-107b is the size of Jupiter, but just a tenth of its mass and an asymmetry in its atmosphere: meaning there is a significant difference between the two edges of its atmosphere.
Astronomers at the University of Arizona observed the atmosphere of a hot and particularly puffy exoplanet using the James Webb Space Telescope. The exoplanet, which has but only a tenth of its mass, has an east-west asymmetry in its atmosphere. It means there is a significant difference between the two edges of its atmosphere. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
What we know about this strange exoplanet: the discoveries of the James Webb
“This is the first time that the asymmetry of an exoplanet has been observed during the transit of its star, from space,” explained study lead author Matthew Murphy of the University of Arizona. A transit is when a planet passes in front of its star, as the moon does. “I think observations from space have many advantages over observations from the ground,” Murphy added.
What is the asymmetry of a planet
An exoplanet’s east-west asymmetry refers to differences in atmospheric characteristics, such as temperature or cloud properties, observed between the planet’s eastern and western hemispheres. Determining whether or not this asymmetry exists is critical to understanding the climate, atmospheric dynamics, and weather patterns of exoplanets, planets that exist beyond .
The characteristics of WASP-107b discovered thanks to James Webb
The exoplanet WASP-107b always shows the same face to the star it orbits. Murphy and his team used the technique of transmission spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope. It is the main tool that astronomers use to gain information about what makes up the atmospheres of other planets. The telescope took a series of photographs as the planet passed in front of its star, encoding information about the planet’s atmosphere. The researchers were able to separate the signals from the eastern and western sides of the atmosphere and get a more detailed look at the processes occurring in the exoplanet’s atmosphere.
What happens on this exoplanet
The exoplanet WASP-107b it is unique in that it has a very low density and relatively low gravity, resulting in a puffier atmosphere than that of other exoplanets of its mass. “We have nothing like this in our solar system. It is unique, even among exoplanet populations,” Murphy concluded. WASP-107b has a temperature of about 475 degrees Celsius, a temperature intermediate between that of the planets in our solar system and that of the hottest exoplanets known.
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