ESOs VLT reveals inner wind layers of distant exoplanet

Date:
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 21:31:45 +0000

Description:
Using data from the four telescopic units of the European Southern Observatorys (ESO) Very Large The post ESOs VLT reveals inner wind layers of distant exoplanet appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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Using data from the four telescopic units of the European Southern Observatorys (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), a team of scientists has successfully peered into the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time. Moreover, the data allowed the team to create a three-dimensional map of the atmosphere.

The results showed powerful winds within the atmosphere. These winds carry elements like iron and titanium, which, in turn, create unique weather patterns throughout the atmosphere. VLTs observations mark the first time astronomers have been able to observe the atmosphere of an exoplanet in extreme detail.



This planets atmosphere behaves in ways that challenge our understanding of how weather works not just on Earth, but on all planets. It feels like something out of science fiction, said lead author Julia Victoria Seidel of ESO in Chile.



The exoplanet, named WASP-121b and formally named Tylos, is located 900 light-years away in the constellation Puppis. Discovered in 2015, Tylos is an ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet that orbits extremely close to its host star completing one revolution (or a year) in approximately 30 (Earth) hours.
Tylos extreme proximity to its host star means that one side of its
atmosphere is scorching hot from the stars heat, while the other side is very cool.

In 2017, Tylos became the first planet outside of the Solar System to be
found to contain water in its stratosphere. VLTs latest observations peer deeper into the atmosphere than prior observations of the exoplanet,
revealing winds in distinct layers.

What we found was surprising: a jet stream rotates material around the
planets equator, while a separate flow at lower levels of the atmosphere
moves gas from the hot side to the cooler side. This kind of climate has
never been seen before on any planet. Even the strongest hurricanes in the Solar System seem calm in comparison, said Seidel.

This jet stream is massive spanning half of the planet. As the jet stream crosses into the hot dayside of Tylos, the stream gains speed and churns the Tylos upper atmosphere violently. Graphic showing the motion and structure of the different wind layers within Tylos. (Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser)

VLTs observations also allowed the team to create the first-ever three-dimensional map of an exoplanets atmosphere. Seidel et al. specifically utilized VLTs Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations (ESPRESSO) instrument to combine the light collected by VLTs four telescopic units into one singular signal. The team then created the three-dimensional map from this signal.

Combining the light from the four units allows scientists who use the VLT to see four times as much light as an individual telescope and fainter details. For example, from one transit of Tylos across its host star, ESPRESSO
detected multiple chemical signatures within the exoplanets atmosphere, including iron, sodium, and hydrogen. Observing these chemical signatures allowed Seidel et al. to trace their locations within the deep, mid, and shallow layers of Tylos atmosphere.

The VLT enabled us to probe three different layers of the exoplanets atmosphere in one fell swoop. Its the kind of observation that is very challenging to do with space telescopes, highlighting the importance of ground-based observations of exoplanets, said co-author Leonardo A. dos
Santos of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Using ESO's #VLT , astronomers have mapped the 3D structure of an exoplanet's atmosphere for the first time. Never before had this been done in such depth and detail.

Discover more: https://t.co/Tph3bv3t6a

Artist's impression by ESO/M. Kornmesser pic.twitter.com/4ADVnnecsU

ESO (@ESO) February 18, 2025



Surprisingly, ESPRESSOs data also revealed the presence of titanium just
below the large jet stream in Tylos atmosphere. Previous observations of
Tylos had hinted at an absence of titanium within the planet, likely because the element is buried deep in the planets atmosphere beneath the jet stream.

Its truly mind-blowing that were able to study details like the chemical makeup and weather patterns of a planet at such a vast distance, said co-author Bibiana Prinoth of Lund University and ESO.

The teams results are exciting for exoplanet astronomy, as they show that, with the right equipment, the atmospheres of distant exoplanets can be
studied in detail. However, to reveal the inner atmospheric workings of Earth-like exoplanets, scientists are going to need much larger telescopes. ESOs upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is expected to be able to directly observe Earth-like exoplanets and research their characteristics in depth. The ELT is currently under construction in the Atacama Desert in
Chile.

The ELT will be a game-changer for studying exoplanet atmospheres. This experience makes me feel like were on the verge of uncovering incredible things we can only dream about now, Prinoth explained.

Seidel et al.s results were published in the journal Nature on Feb. 18.

(Lead image: Graphic showing the three main atmospheric wind layers of
Tylos. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser)

The post ESOs VLT reveals inner wind layers of distant exoplanet appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/02/vlt-tylos-atmosphere/


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