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Hubble Observes Exoplanet That Snows Sunscreen
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has found a blistering hot planet outside our solar system where it "snows" sunscreen. The problem is the sunscreen (titanium oxide) precipitation only happens on the planet's permanent nighttime side. Any possible visitors to the exoplanet, called Kepler-13Ab, would need to bottle up some of that sunscreen, because they won't find it on the sizzling hot, daytime side, which always faces its host star.
Hubble astronomers suggest that powerful winds carry the titanium oxide gas around to the colder nighttime side, where it condenses into crystalline flakes, forms clouds, and precipitates as snow. Kepler-13Ab's strong surface gravity — six times greater than Jupiter's — pulls the titanium oxide snow out of the upper atmosphere and traps it in the lower atmosphere.
Astronomers using Hubble didn't look for titanium oxide specifically. Instead, they observed that the giant planet's atmosphere is cooler at higher altitudes, which is contrary to what was expected. This finding led the researchers to conclude that a light-absorbing gaseous form of titanium oxide, commonly found in this class of star-hugging, gas giant planet known as a "hot Jupiter," has been removed from the dayside's atmosphere. The Hubble observations represent the first time astronomers have detected this precipitation process, called a "cold trap," on an exoplanet.
Without the titanium oxide gas to absorb incoming starlight on the daytime side, the atmospheric temperature grows colder with increasing altitude. Normally, titanium oxide in the atmospheres of hot Jupiters absorbs light and reradiates it as heat, making the atmosphere grow warmer at higher altitudes.
Evidence for Atmospheric Cold-trap Processes in the Noninverted Emission Spectrum of Kepler-13Ab Using HST/WFC3 (DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aa899b) (DX)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Thursday November 02 2017, @02:56AM (2 children)
Oh, don't thank our taxpayers, thank our military who wants to be sure the whole world knows: A) we can drop whatever size bomb we want, wherever on the planet we want, whenever we want B) we have the optical sensing and data processing capability to see a ladybug on your ass no matter where on the planet you are, including indoors, and C) don't you forget it, thus the continued publication of ever more impressive miraculous feats of putting big things in orbit and bringing back incredible pictures of whatever.
Sure, we've got the science geeks like everyone else, but they're vastly outnumbered and outspent by the military.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 4, Funny) by Post-Nihilist on Thursday November 02 2017, @03:23AM (1 child)
I was trying to reinforce a positive behaviour, I have no illusion on the role of the military on the progress of science ... But as far as i know the taxpayer pays for the military, well they vote peoples who vote for deficit but it almost the same.
Be like us, be different, be a nihilist!!!
(Score: 3, Informative) by JoeMerchant on Thursday November 02 2017, @03:34AM
In my district they vote for people who will keep growing the Navy base because the Navy base feeds the local economy, more about keeping personal income high than any lofty ideals of any kind.
🌻🌻 [google.com]