The James Webb Space Telescope detected atmospheric weather patterns on the hot Jupiter exoplanet WASP-94 A b.
Scientists studied how the planet filters light from its host star to infer conditions in its upper atmosphere.
Hot Jupiters are gas giants that orbit extremely close to their stars, producing searing temperatures.
Webb’s infrared sensitivity allows detailed analysis of exoplanet atmospheres previously beyond reach of older telescopes.
Weather patterns on WASP-94 A b include variations in cloud cover and temperature across the dayside.
Starlight passing through the planet’s atmosphere carries signatures of gases and aerosols at different altitudes.
Researchers compared observations taken as the planet moved across the stellar disk.
Understanding exoplanet weather tests models of atmospheric circulation under intense stellar heating.
WASP-94 A b joins a growing list of worlds where Webb has mapped atmospheric structure.
The observations contribute to broader efforts to characterize planets orbiting distant stars.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://www.nature.com/news