Webb Detects Tiny Quartz Crystals in the Clouds of a Hot Gas Giant : 無料・フリー素材/写真
Webb Detects Tiny Quartz Crystals in the Clouds of a Hot Gas Giant / James Webb Space Telescope
| ライセンス | クリエイティブ・コモンズ 表示 2.1 |
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| 説明 | Imagine a planet with clouds made of crystal ☁️That’s exoplanet WASP-17 b! Thanks to the Webb Telescope, scientists have seen evidence of quartz (silicon dioxide, also called silica) nanocrystal clouds in an exoplanet atmosphere for the first time.With a volume more than 7 times that of Jupiter yet a mass less than one-half Jupiter, WASP-17 b is one of the largest and puffiest known exoplanets. It features temperatures of 2700 degrees F (about 1500 degrees C) and atmospheric pressure only one-thousandth of Earth’s surface pressure, allowing solid quartz crystals to form directly from gas. Just how small are the quartz crystals? 10 nanometers across, or one-millionth of a centimeter. While Webb’s mid-infrared instrument detected the silica particles, @NASAHubble data played a key role in helping scientists figure out the quartz crystals’ size. This result is a new step toward understanding exoplanet cloud formation and evolution. We’ve previously only seen magnesium silicates in other planets’ atmospheres, not pure silicon dioxide. WASP-17 b’s tiny quartz particles could be the “seeds” needed to form those larger silicates. Learn more: www.nasa.gov/missions/webb/webb-detects-tiny-quartz-cryst...This image: This artist's concept shows what the exoplanet WASP-17 b could look like. This artist’s concept is based on new data gathered by MIRI as well as previous observations from other ground- and space-based telescopes, including NASA’s Hubble and retired Spitzer space telescopes. Webb has not captured any images of the planet.Graphics: NASA, ESA, CSA, and Ralf Crawford (STScI). Science: David Grant (University of Bristol), Hannah R. Wakeford (University of Bristol), Nikole Lewis (Cornell University)[Description: Illustration of a cloudy planet set against the darkness of space.] |
| 撮影日 | 2023-10-16 10:22:49 |
| 撮影者 | James Webb Space Telescope , Greenbelt, MD, USA |
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