2008 Woodie Awards
Distant planet carries several molecules of life
Issue date: 4/3/08
The chemical composition of our planet's atmosphere can tell us much about the state of our planet and the life found on it. Pollution levels, planetary events like volcanic eruptions, even the time of year leave considerable marks in the atmosphere that can be analyzed.
The same is true of other planets in our solar system. On Venus, for example, we can see the greenhouse effect in a truly runaway way.
This principle works just as well for planets outside of our solar system, and it is sometimes the only way scientists can figure out what stuff far-away bodies are made of.
Scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., analyzed the atmosphere of a distant planet and found methane - the first time an organic molecule has been found outside our solar system.
Mark Swain and colleagues have been looking at a planet called HD 189733b with the Hubble telescope. It is a large, Jupiter-like planet, a gas giant, located about 63 light years from Earth.
It is also very hot, which led scientists to assume the existence of carbon monoxide, but that's not what Swain and his colleagues found.
In fact, the team has reported that there is a marked presence of methane in HD 189733b's atmosphere, which points to unidentified mechanisms in place on the planet that favor methane production.
Using near-infrared spectroscopy, which looks at the energy emissions of celestial bodies, specifically infrared energy, scientists can make inferences about the chemicals present in those bodies. In the case of HD 189733b, scientists watched as the planet passed in front of its own sun.
The light from the sun then illuminated the planet's atmosphere, sending an emitted-energy spectrum towards the Hubble telescope for Swain and colleagues to analyze.
What they have found is that the atmosphere is dominated by methane, an organic compound composed of carbon and hydrogen which is best known as "swamp gas."
In addition to a strong methane signature, the team has also found strong evidence of water in HD 189733b's atmosphere.
Then, trying to gauge the amounts of water and methane in the planet's atmosphere, Swain and colleagues entered their data into a simulating model and found a slight discrepancy in the concentrations of water and methane they were calculating.
By adding a small amount of ammonia, a nitrogen-containing gas, they were able to more accurately explain their findings.
There is still some uncertainty, however, as there is an expectation of carbon monoxide in such a planet's atmosphere but very little observed data for the molecule's presence. The carbon monoxide spectrum is masked by methane's emission spectrum.
For sure, the team reports, the planet's atmosphere contains water and methane, and probably also ammonia, but in what amounts and if other molecules are found in significant amounts remain a mystery.
The same is true of other planets in our solar system. On Venus, for example, we can see the greenhouse effect in a truly runaway way.
This principle works just as well for planets outside of our solar system, and it is sometimes the only way scientists can figure out what stuff far-away bodies are made of.
Scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., analyzed the atmosphere of a distant planet and found methane - the first time an organic molecule has been found outside our solar system.
Mark Swain and colleagues have been looking at a planet called HD 189733b with the Hubble telescope. It is a large, Jupiter-like planet, a gas giant, located about 63 light years from Earth.
It is also very hot, which led scientists to assume the existence of carbon monoxide, but that's not what Swain and his colleagues found.
In fact, the team has reported that there is a marked presence of methane in HD 189733b's atmosphere, which points to unidentified mechanisms in place on the planet that favor methane production.
Using near-infrared spectroscopy, which looks at the energy emissions of celestial bodies, specifically infrared energy, scientists can make inferences about the chemicals present in those bodies. In the case of HD 189733b, scientists watched as the planet passed in front of its own sun.
The light from the sun then illuminated the planet's atmosphere, sending an emitted-energy spectrum towards the Hubble telescope for Swain and colleagues to analyze.
What they have found is that the atmosphere is dominated by methane, an organic compound composed of carbon and hydrogen which is best known as "swamp gas."
In addition to a strong methane signature, the team has also found strong evidence of water in HD 189733b's atmosphere.
Then, trying to gauge the amounts of water and methane in the planet's atmosphere, Swain and colleagues entered their data into a simulating model and found a slight discrepancy in the concentrations of water and methane they were calculating.
By adding a small amount of ammonia, a nitrogen-containing gas, they were able to more accurately explain their findings.
There is still some uncertainty, however, as there is an expectation of carbon monoxide in such a planet's atmosphere but very little observed data for the molecule's presence. The carbon monoxide spectrum is masked by methane's emission spectrum.
For sure, the team reports, the planet's atmosphere contains water and methane, and probably also ammonia, but in what amounts and if other molecules are found in significant amounts remain a mystery.
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