February 01, 2024
Astronomers discovered dynamic weather patterns on an exoplanet named WASP-121b located 880 light-years away from Earth. Astronomers used the data of WASP-121b collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Hubble Space Telescope in 2016, 2018 and 2019. They found remarkable differences in the atmosphere of the exoplanet over this period that were caused by fierce weather activity. According to astronomers, as one side of WASP-121b is constantly facing its star, it leads to a huge temperature difference between the day-side and night-side of the exoplanet. This temperature difference gives rise to enormous cyclones, storms and other phenomena that influence its atmosphere. Studying WASP-121b’s atmosphere will enhance astronomers’ knowledge of other exoplanets including those with habitable conditions.
Did You Know?
The temperature on the star-facing side of WASP-121b reaches around 1,900°C.
Image Source: .jpl.nasa.gov
