A team of researchers, in June 2015, revealed a gigantic cloud of hydrogen from an exoplanet – Screenshot –

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Gliese 436b has not finished delivering its secrets. As proof, a team of researchers (1) recently uncovered thanks to Hubble Space Telescope, a huge cloud of gas escaping from an exoplanet [a planet orbiting other stars than the Sun].

A cloud comet to tunes

If you believe their work published Wednesday in the journal Nature the cloud (composed mainly of hydrogen) escaping from the exoplanet Gliese 436b, which would have a size equivalent to Neptune, would resemble a long luminous trail, worthy of a comet’s tail.

About the gas drag, David Ehrenreich, a researcher at the University of Geneva and lead author of the study, quoted by The Obs says “This cloud is spectacular; it is as if, after bringing the atmosphere of the planet at high temperature, which leads to the evaporation of hydrogen, the radiation of the star was too weak to blow the cloud accumulates around the planet “

The color of an exoplanet revealed for the first time. it is blue like Earth

50 times the size of its star

In detail, the gas cloud was detected while researchers watched, using the space telescope, the exoplanet passes in front of its star. While they were interested in light of that star, scientists have brought to light the gigantic cloud hydogrène, nicknamed “behemoth” (behemoth in English), which would reach 50 times the size its precise star The Obs .



 According to the researchers of CNRS (who also participated in the study), the research could eventually better understand the evolution of low-mass planets that orbit very close to their stars and open perspectives in detection new exoplanets

(1) The work was conducted by an international team of researchers from the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris (IAP; CNRS / UPMC)., the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics of Grenoble (IPAG, CNRS / Université Joseph Fourier). in collaboration with the Observatory of Geneva University, English universities of Exeter and Warwick as well as that of Colorado (USA)