The existence of the planet has been suspected since 2006, but was only confirmed in 2010 yesterday. Known, the planet is classified in this type of gas planets with masses less than 4.5 times the mass of Jupiter.
The combination of proximity orbits and high temperatures from the parent star, the planet heats WASP-33b to near the temperature of 3200 degrees Celsius, according to the latest infrared measurement through the camera at the William Herschel Telescope in the Canary Islands, Africa.
The temperature was hotter than a red dwarf star with a temperature 700 degrees Celsius and WASP-12b where the temperature in 2300 degrees Celsius.
One cause of the heat of the planet's temperature is the temperature of the parent star is too hot.
Astronomers said the temperature of the planet's parent star is 7160 degrees Celsius, higher than the temperature of the sun is only 5600 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, another reason is the proximity distance of WASP-33b orbits the parent star. With a distance of only 7 percent of the distance Mercury-Sun, the planet seemed to be "contaminated" hot parent star.
Astronomers also said that the planet called WASP-33b, measuring 1.4 of the planet Jupiter.
The study of the planet led by Alexis Smith of the University of Keele in Stafordshire, England. Through this study, the astronomers also know that the planet's revolution time is very short, only 29.5 hours.
Drake Demming of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland who was not involved in the study, said, "WASP-33b could help astronomers examine the hot planetary karakteristisknya still a mystery."
Lesson to be learned for example the berorbit planet close to its star that has a layer of the atmosphere is cooler outside than inside layer. This is surprising because the planet is "heated" from the outside.
Deming said that fact could be related to the presence of carbon-based compounds that change the way the atmosphere respond to radiation. Certain chemical compounds can be formed by ultraviolet light from the star.
"It certainly would be a planet you want to see. This is a very rare opportunity to study the planet orbiting the star is super hot," said Deming in his interview with New Scientist
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar