Researchers have discovered a huge cloud of gas escaping from the exoplanet GJ 436b. Phenomenon that had “never been observed around an exoplanet as small”.
Researchers, who have relied on the observations of the telescope Hubble discovered a huge cloud of gas escaping from the exoplanet GJ 436b. According assurances from NASA, such a phenomenon had “never been observed around an exoplanet as small”.
It is by observing, using the Hubble telescope, the exoplanet GJ 436b transit around its star Gliese 436, a red dwarf, as researchers have discovered a giant gas cloud escaped from. Their study published Wednesday in the journal Nature , indicated that the cloud, probably composed of hydrogen and nicknamed “mastodon” strongly resemble a comet tail and cover about 56% of the size of the star.
In a statement, the CNRS explains that “colossal next to the 0.69% covered by the planet itself.” For its part, NASA states that “even planets subjected to a larger radiation does not emit such a hair.”
The exoplanet GJ 436b, a size of almost four times the diameter of Earth may well have lost 10% of its atmosphere since the beginning of his life, said the researchers. To emphasize that Hubble, which was put into orbit in 1990, is expected to remain active until 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment