The atmosphere of an exoplanet is measured for the first time

2010/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronomia

Canadian and German astronomers have measured the atmospheric spectrum of exoplanet HR 8799c. It is the first time an exoplanet directly measures the emitted radiation.

The aim is to measure the chemical composition of the atmosphere of this exoplanet. In fact, this provides information about the formation and evolution of the planet.

The team led by Markus Janson of the University of Toronto has found that in the high atmosphere there is less methane than expected, so most of the carbon accumulates in the form of carbon monoxide. This means that the planet can be rich in heavy elements compared to its star. Thus, they have come to the conclusion that the exoplanet emerged as the planets of our solar system.