Scientists observe the carbon dioxide of planets outside the solar system for the first time

Carbon dioxide has was found on a planet outside our solar system for the first time. Gas was observed directly by James Web Space Telescope at four ExoplanetsAll belonging to the HR 8799 system, located 130 light -years from Earth. The discovery of Co₂ offers clues about how distant planets are formed, with observations providing categorical evidence that these four giant planets are formed in the same way as Jupiter and Saturnthrough the slow formation of hard nuclei. The findings were published In the latest issue of the Astronomical Journal.

“By detecting these strong formations of Carbon Dioxide, we have show that is a considerable fraction of heavier elements, such as carbon, oxygen, and iron, in the atmosPheres of Astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University and Lead Author of the Paper, Said in a Statement to NASAS “Considering what we know about the star they orbit, this probably shows that they have formed from the main accumulation that we can see directly for the planets is an exciting conclusion.”

The HR 8799 is a system that was born 30 million years ago, as well as the young compared to our solar system, which has existed for 4.6 billion years. Still hot with their violence, the planets of HR 8799 emit large amounts of infrared light. This gives scientists valuable data on how their formation is compared to that of a star or Brown dwarfThe term given to large gaseous planets that fail to develop in stars.

“Our hope with this type of research is to understand our own solar system, life and ourselves compared to other exoplanetic systems, so we can contexture our existence,” Balmer said. “We want to shoot other solar systems and see how they are similar or different from ours. From there we can try to understand how strange our solar system is or how normal it is.”

Carbon dioxide is an essential ingredient in the development of life on Earth, which makes it a key purpose in searching for life elsewhere in space.

Plus this because Co₂ Condensated in small ice particles in the deep cold of space, its presence can shed light on the planetary formation. Jupiter and Saturn are thought to have formed through a process in which a bunch of small ice particles merge to form a tight nucleus, which then absorbs gas to grow into the gas giants we know today.

“We have other evidence that indicates the formation of these four planets in the HR 8799 of this approach from the bottom up,” a NASA statement in the space telescope and the co -author of the document said. “How often is this in the long -term planets that we can directly depict? We still don’t know, but we offer additional observations through WebB, inspired by our carbon dioxide diagnostics, to answer this question.”

Unlock the potential of James Web Space Telescope

James Web’s space telescope should also be given its flowers, as it has shown that it is able to make more than the atmospheric composition of exoplanets from Starlight measurements; In fact, she demonstrates her ability to directly analyze The chemical composition of the atmospheres so far from them.

Usually, JWST can hardly find exoplanet as it intersects in front of its hospitable star because of the great distance that separates us. But on this occasion, direct observation became possible by JWST coronually – tools that block the star light to reveal the otherwise hidden worlds.

“It’s like placing your thumb in front of the sun when you look at the sky,” Balmer said. This setting, similar to solar eclipse, allowed the team to look for infrared light at wavelengths coming from the planet, which reveal specific gases and other atmospheric details.

“These giant planets have very important consequences,” Balmer said. “If these huge planets act as a bowling balls touring our solar system, they can violate, protect, or in a sense, make like planets like ours. Therefore, a better understanding of their formation is crucial to understanding the formation, survival and habitat of the planet-like planets.”

This story originally appeared on Spanish and was translated from Spanish.