The Hubble Space Telescope has made an intriguing discovery: evidence of water vapor in the smallest-ever exoplanet known to us, GJ 9827d. This exoplanet, although only twice the diameter of Earth, has a 6.2-day orbit around its star and is extremely hot.
The team of scientists behind the observations have concluded that GJ 9827d resembles a hot and steamy solar orbiter rather than a habitable, ocean planet. This finding is significant as it brings us closer to characterizing truly Earth-like worlds. Additionally, it suggests that planets with water-rich atmospheres can exist around other stars.
To arrive at these conclusions, the atmosphere of GJ 9827d was observed 11 times over a span of three years. Transit analysis was used to analyze its atmospheric makeup. The detection of water vapor on such a small exoplanet indicates that water-rich planets might be more common than previously thought, particularly given the prevalence of “red dwarf” stars in our galaxy.
However, scientists are still unsure whether GJ 9827d is a water world or a miniature Neptune-like gas planet. The absence of detected hydrogen complicates the determination of its nature. Thus, the James Webb Space Telescope, set to launch in 2021, is eagerly anticipated to provide further observations and help settle the question regarding GJ 9827d’s elements and formation.
The hope is that these upcoming observations will finally provide a conclusive answer regarding the nature of GJ 9827d and whether water worlds exist outside of our solar system. This discovery opens up exciting possibilities and could potentially reshape our understanding of exoplanets and their potential for hosting life.
Stay tuned for more updates on this fascinating research as scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
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