Located 100 light years from Earth, there is a planet characterized by having an atmosphere composed predominantly of water vapor. This peculiarity makes it very interesting, because although theories have been proposed about the existence of this type of planet and observations have been made of others with surfaces composed of 90% water, none of them had been confirmed until now. Designated as GJ 9827 d, this planet is approximately twice the size and three times the mass of Earth.
In this article we are going to tell you all the secrets discovered about the planet composed of water vapor.
Discovery of a planet made of water vapor
In 2017, the Kepler space telescope revealed important findings. While traces of water vapour were detected at the time, the unexpected discovery was that almost the entire planet's atmosphere was made up of this substance. This revelation was made possible by transmission spectroscopy, a technique that assesses the amount of starlight absorbed by a planet's atmosphere.
In this case, The light came from the star GJ 9827, allowing researchers to reconstruct the planet's atmospheric composition. “This is the first time we’ve seen something like this,” said Eshan Raul, one of the researchers involved in the study that explored the planet’s composition in more depth. The full study is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. However, the characteristics of this atmosphere make it incompatible with life as we understand it, as its estimated atmospheric temperatures reach approximately 340º, accompanied by immense pressure.
These extreme conditions are attributed to the planet's proximity to its star, located just 8,4 million kilometers away, allowing it to complete an orbit in just six days. To put this into context, The Earth is located 150 million kilometers from the SunIt remains essential to continue exploring for life on planets that are more similar to Earth.
Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb, lead author of the study, said: “So far, almost all exoplanet atmospheres are made of the lightest elements (hydrogen and helium), similar to the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn found in our solar system.” She concluded: “GJ 9827 d is the first planet for which we have identified an atmosphere rich in heavy particles.” It is important to note that an exoplanet refers to a planet located beyond our solar system. Rather, the discovery came as researchers were searching for water-rich planets.
“The moment was truly surreal. Our attention was focused on the search for worlds with water, since the hypothesis of their possible existence had been raised. If this discovery It is truly authentic, it gives rise to deep reflection on what other phenomena may exist beyond our current understanding.“At this stage in my career, having the opportunity to analyze data from the most advanced telescope ever built serves as a testament to the fact that the time has come for people to pursue astronomy.”
Composition of other gas planets
We are used to talking about gas planets that are in our solar system. These gas planets are celestial bodies formed mainly of gases, unlike rocky planets that have solid surfaces. The best known examples in our Solar System are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and NeptuneThey have compositions and characteristics that make them unique, but the gases they are made of are nothing like what was discovered by the James Webb telescope and the planet composed of water vapor.
Let's see what the main gas composition of these planets in our solar system is in order to appreciate the importance of the discovery of this planet composed of water vapor.
Main composition of gas giants
The gas planets are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, which are the lightest and most abundant elements in the universe. Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest giants in the Solar System, have a composition very similar to that of the Sun, with 90% hydrogen and about 10% helium.
These gases are structured in an atmosphere similar to what happens on our planet. However, they do not have the same layers since they are not composed of solid masses. Let's see what the atmospheric structures and layers of the gas planets of the solar system are:
- Outdoor atmosphere: The outermost part of gas planets is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium in gaseous state. Depending on the planet, traces of other elements such as methane, ammonia and water vapour may be present.
- Inner layers: As you go deeper, pressure and temperature increase significantly. In the case of Jupiter and Saturn, these extreme conditions cause hydrogen to turn into a liquid metallic state, allowing the conduction of electricity and generating a very strong magnetic field.
- Core: Although they are called gaseous planets, most of these planets have a solid or semi-solid core composed of heavier elements, such as silicates and metals, mixed with ice. This core may be surrounded by a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen.
Unlike Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are composed primarily of ice. They are therefore known as “ice giants” because, although they also have hydrogen and helium in their atmospheres, they contain a higher proportion of heavier elements such as water, ammonia and methane. This gives them a blueish colour and a denser composition than Jupiter and Saturn.
Finally, these planets have some unique features due to their composition that are not found on other rocky planets. Let's see what these unique features are:
- Clouds and storms: The gas planets are famous for their storm systems and cloud bands. For example, Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a giant storm that has existed for centuries.
- Rings and moons: Saturn is known for its spectacular ring system, made up of ice and dust particles. However, all gas planets have rings, although those of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are much fainter.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the discovery of a planet composed of water vapor and what differences it may have with the gas giants of our solar system.