Scientists Discovered Planet Where the Wind Speed is 1000 Times Higher Than on Th Earth
New observations of the exoplanet WASP-127b at a distance of over 500 light years from Earth have revealed amazing details about the behavior of its atmosphere. This planet has already become a treasure trove of many discoveries in the planetology of other worlds, and each time it continues to reveal more and more new details. In particular, scientists were able to determine the speed of air currents at the equator of WASP-127b. It turned out to be huge – up to 33,000 km / h, but there is an explanation for this.
To study WASP-127b, scientists used a cryogenic infrared high-resolution echelle spectrograph. This instrument allows not only to determine the chemical composition of the atmosphere, but also to “measure” the movement of gases.
Astronomers have recorded how the atmosphere of WASP-127b is literally torn apart. The streams move in different directions, creating future vortices at speeds of up to 7.9 kilometers per second. Interestingly, the previous record holder was Neptune, where winds reach speeds of 2100 km / h, but the planet of the Solar System cannot compete with such a serious competitor. WASP-127b is a gas giant larger than Jupiter. At the same time, the planet has a low density, and as a result, its mass is only 16% of the mass of the largest planet in our system. The planet is tidal locked, which means that one side of it is constantly facing the star, and the other is immersed in eternal darkness. The temperature on the illuminated side reaches 1000 degrees, creating a sharp contrast with the cold night hemisphere. And since the temperature difference between the light and dark sides can reach hundreds of degrees, the turbulence in the atmosphere only increases, leading to the emergence of record high wind speeds.
