NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Detects Water Vapor on Small Exoplanet
Main Ideas:
- Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have observed water vapor in the atmosphere of a small exoplanet called GJ 9827d.
- GJ 9827d is about twice the diameter of Earth and could be an example of planets with water-rich atmospheres in our galaxy.
- This is the first direct evidence of water vapor on an exoplanet of this size.
Details of Hubble’s Detection
Astronomers used Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 to study the atmosphere of GJ 9827d.
They detected water vapor by analyzing the absorption of light as the exoplanet passed in front of its host star.
GJ 9827d completes an orbit around its star in just under 2 days, making it a “hot Neptune.”
The team is hoping to further study this exoplanet to better understand its atmosphere and composition.
Author’s Take:
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has made an exciting discovery by detecting water vapor on the small exoplanet GJ 9827d. This finding reveals that exoplanets with water-rich atmospheres may be more common than previously thought. Astronomers can use this information to further explore the possibility of habitable planets outside our solar system.