This is an artist's impression of the Jupiter-size extrasolar planet, HD 189733b, being eclipsed by its parent star. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have measured carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the planet's atmosphere. The planet is a "hot Jupiter," which is so close to its star that it completes an orbit in only 2.2 days.
This type of observation is best done when the planet's orbit carries it behind the star (as seen from Earth), which allows an opportunity to subtract the light of the star alone (when the planet is blocked) from that of the star and planet together prior to eclipse. This allows astronomers to isolate the infrared emission of the planet and make spectroscopic observations that chemically analyze the day-side atmosphere.
The planet is too hot for life as we know it. But under the right conditions, on a more Earth-like world, carbon dioxide can indicate the presence of extraterrestrial life. This observation demonstrates that chemical biotracers can be detected by space telescope observations.
Credits
ESA, NASA, M. Kornmesser (ESA/Hubble), and STScI| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | HD 189733b |
| Object Description | Transiting Hot-Jupiter Exoplanet |
| R.A. Position | 20h 00m 43s.71 |
| Dec. Position | +22° 42' 39".07 |
| Constellation | Vulpecula |
| Distance | 63 light-years (19 parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | This science result was from HST data from proposal : M. Swain (NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and D. Deming (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). The science team includes: M. Swain, G. Vasisht , and P. Chen (NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), G. Tinetti (University College London), J. Bouwman (Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg), Y. Yung (California Institute of Technology), and D. Deming (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). |
| Instrument | HST>NICMOS |
| Exposure Dates | April 29/30, 2007, Exposure Time: 324 seconds |
| Filters | G206 (1.4-2.5 microns) |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
