Post by thales on Apr 12, 2007 9:30:48 GMT -1
atmospheric water vapour found
HD 209458 b is an extrasolar planet that orbits the Sun-like star HD 209458 in the constellation Pegasus, some 150 light-years from Earth's solar system. HD 209458 is a 7th magnitude star, visible from Earth with binoculars.
On April 10, 2007, Travis Barman of the Lowell Observatory announced evidence that the atmosphere of HD 209458 b contained water vapor. Using a combination of previously published Hubble Space Telescope measurements and new theoretical models, Barman found strong evidence for water absorption in the planet's atmosphere.[13][2][14][15] His method modelled light passing directly through the atmosphere from the planet's sun as the planet passed in front of its sun. However, this hypothesis is still being investigated for further proof.
Barman and Heather Knutson, a student at Harvard University, drew on data and measurements taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, and applied new theoretical models to demonstrate the likelihood of water absorption in the atmosphere of the planet. The planet orbits its parent star every three and a half days, and each time it passes in front of its parent star, the atmospheric contents can be analysed by examining how the atmosphere absorbs light passing from the star directly through the atmosphere in the direction of Earth.
According to a summary of the research, atmospheric water absorption in such an exoplanet renders it larger in appearance across one part of the infrared spectrum, compared to wavelengths in the visible spectrum. Knutson took the Hubble data on HD209458 b, applied to it Barman's new theoretical model and subsequently identified water absorption in the planet's atmosphere.
HD 209458 b is an extrasolar planet that orbits the Sun-like star HD 209458 in the constellation Pegasus, some 150 light-years from Earth's solar system. HD 209458 is a 7th magnitude star, visible from Earth with binoculars.
On April 10, 2007, Travis Barman of the Lowell Observatory announced evidence that the atmosphere of HD 209458 b contained water vapor. Using a combination of previously published Hubble Space Telescope measurements and new theoretical models, Barman found strong evidence for water absorption in the planet's atmosphere.[13][2][14][15] His method modelled light passing directly through the atmosphere from the planet's sun as the planet passed in front of its sun. However, this hypothesis is still being investigated for further proof.
Barman and Heather Knutson, a student at Harvard University, drew on data and measurements taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, and applied new theoretical models to demonstrate the likelihood of water absorption in the atmosphere of the planet. The planet orbits its parent star every three and a half days, and each time it passes in front of its parent star, the atmospheric contents can be analysed by examining how the atmosphere absorbs light passing from the star directly through the atmosphere in the direction of Earth.
According to a summary of the research, atmospheric water absorption in such an exoplanet renders it larger in appearance across one part of the infrared spectrum, compared to wavelengths in the visible spectrum. Knutson took the Hubble data on HD209458 b, applied to it Barman's new theoretical model and subsequently identified water absorption in the planet's atmosphere.