Scientists found trace amounts of hydrogen sulphide in a nearby exoplanet - which may give clues as to how it influences planets’ atmospheres.
Scientists found trace amounts of hydrogen sulphide in a nearby exoplanet - which may give clues as to how it influences planets’ atmospheres.
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The research, from scientists at the Johns Hopkins University in the US, suggests that the atmosphere of the planet HD 189733 b, a Jupiter-sized gas giant, has trace amounts of hydrogen sulphide.
At only 64 light-years from Earth, HD 189733 b is the nearest “hot Jupiter” astronomers can observe passing in front of its star.
The planet also has extremely high temperatures of about 927C and is known for vicious weather, including raining glass that blows sideways on winds of 5,000mph.
Guangwei Fu, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University, said: "Hydrogen sulphide is a major molecule that we didn’t know was there.
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The researchers hope to track sulphur in more exoplanets and determine how high levels of that compound might influence how close they form near their parent stars.
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