12 July 2007

Water found on exoplanet

Astronomers have detected water in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time. This finding, demonstrates that scientists can now analyse atmospheres of distant worlds for signs of living organisms.

Astronomers led by Giovanna Tinetti, of University College London, used the Earth-orbiting Spitzer telescope to watch the planet as it passed in front of its star. Cameras on the telescope picked up faint changes in starlight passing through the planet's atmosphere. The atmosphere absorbed infrared light at wavelengths that could only be explained by large quantities of water vapour.


The planet, HD189733b, is extremely unlikely to contain life: it is a gas giant that circles a star 64 light years from earth. It is larger than Jupiter and orbits its sun ever 2.2 days. earth at a distance of 2.8m miles. Surface temperatures are estimated to rise as high as 1,000C . However, it should be possible to use similar techniques to spot water on planets that are more likely to harbour life.

2 comments:

elasticwaistbandlady said...

What? Does anyone use a forked tree branch to find water anymore??!??

jams o donnell said...

Indeed they do but it's a bit unreasonable to send someone that far of the offchance!