NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has detected water molecules in the atmosphere of an exoplanet 97 light-years away from Earth. The study's findings published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Water detected on exoplanet: In a major discovery, water molecules have been detected in the atmosphere of a red-hot exoplanet 97 light-years from our blue planet. GJ 9827d is twice the size of Earth and could be a suitable destination for future generations looking for another planet with a water-rich atmosphere elsewhere in our galaxy. This important discovery was made by astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
“This would be the first time that we can directly demonstrate through atmospheric detection that these planets with water-rich atmospheres can exist around other stars. This is an important step toward determining the prevalence and diversity of atmospheres on rocky planets,” said Bjorn Benneke, team member at the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montreal.

According to Laura Kreidberg, co-principal investigator at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, the discovery of water on such a small planet is a milestone. “It's closer than ever to characterizing truly Earth-like worlds,” she said.

Water detected on exoplanet: no life

It is notable that water is essential for life on any planet, but no kind of life is possible on exoplanets due to the extreme temperatures that would turn a water-rich atmosphere into steam. astronomers have not yet revealed the secrets of this special planet's atmosphere.
The study's findings were published Jan. 25 in a report in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Water detected on exoplanet: more research needed

Currently, researchers are unclear whether the Hubble telescope found water vapor trails in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere or whether GJ 9827d has a water-rich atmosphere because the host star it orbits outside our solar system has evaporated its original hydrogen and helium. atmosphere.

According to Pierre-Alexis Roy, lead author of the scientific paper, from the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montreal: “Our observation program, led by lead researcher Ian Crossfield of Kansas University in Lawrence, Kansas, was specifically designed to not only the molecules in the planet's atmosphere, but to look specifically for water vapor. Both results would be exciting whether water vapor is dominant or just a minor species in a hydrogen-dominant atmosphere.'

Water detected on exoplanet: atmosphere like Venus

According to Benneke, it is possible that these small planets have an atmosphere like Venus.

“Until now, we had not been able to directly detect the atmosphere of such a small planet. And we are now slowly entering this regime. At some point, as we study smaller planets, there should be a transition where there is no more hydrogen on these small worlds, and they have an atmosphere more like that of Venus (which is dominated by carbon dioxide),” he said .

Water detected on exoplanet: planet is inhospitable to humans

However, humans cannot consider this small planet as their future habitation due to its extreme temperature. NASA stated in a press release that GJ 9827d is hot like Venus and has a temperature of 800 degrees Fahrenheit, which is inhospitable to humans.

Currently, scientists have conceivable theories. One suggestion is that the planet has an atmosphere heavily loaded with hydrogen and water, making it a mini-Neptune. On the other hand, it could be a warmer version of Jupiter's moon, Europa, which is known to have twice as much water volume as Earth in its crust. Dr. Benneke said the exoplanet GJ9827d could be half water and half rock, with water vapor plentiful above the small rocky clusters.