The heaviest element yet to be found in an exoplanet's atmosphere was discovered by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
The planets, known as WASP-76b and WASP- 121b, are gas giants comparable in size to the original Jupiter here in our solar system.
A paper about the work was published this week in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. The planets only have an around of two days. The researchers think it rains liquid iron and precious gems on 76b, while the clouds are made of metal on 121b.
According to a press release, the astronomer had to double check that their findings were from the planets after making the discovery.
The team used a "planet hunter" instrument to detect and confirm the presence of barium.
As exotic as the exoplanets are, they don't explain what heavy elements are doing in their atmosphere.
A researcher from the University of Porto and the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences said that heavy elements would fall into the lower layers of the atmosphere.
We don't know what the mechanisms are at the moment.
It's a stunning discovery that shows how much more we need to know about alien worlds.
It was the first direct image of an exoplanet.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
