European astronomers have found water vapor, sulfur dioxide and sand clouds in the atmosphere of an exoplanet using the James Webb Space Telescope. They have called this a "crucial" discovery, shedding light on our solar system. Astronomers' findings were published in the journal Nature.
The James Webb Space Telescope "is bringing about a scientific revolution in the field of exoplanet characterization at an unprecedented pace," Leen Decin, a professor from KU Leuven and one of the study's lead authors, said in a statement.
Astronomers were surprised to find sulfur dioxide, which smells like burning matches, in the atmosphere, but no methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas, and its absence indicates the exoplanet has a warm core, they said.
"The discovery of clouds of sand, water vapor and sulfur dioxide in this exoplanet's tenuous atmosphere by James Webb's MIRI instrument is a crucial milestone. This discovery sheds light on our solar system," said Decin.
Clouds in the exoplanet's atmosphere are made of silicon, which is the main component of sand, astronomers discovered.
Michiel Min, of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research, said in a statement that sand clouds high in the atmosphere have a cycle similar to the cycle of water vapor and clouds on Earth, but with "drops made of sand".
Exoplanets are planets that lie beyond our solar system, with many other stars orbiting them.
It is more than 200 light-years away from Earth and is orbiting a star slightly smaller than the Sun. Its "thin atmosphere" allows astronomers to study its chemical composition. (A2 Televizion)
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