Astronomers have detected silica in exoplanet atmospheres before. But this is the first time they’ve found particles of what appears to be pure quartz.
A new investigation with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide.
This observation of a gas giant planet orbiting a Sun-like star 700 light-years away provides important insights into the composition and formation of the planet.
The molecule hydroxyl (HO) is common on Earth. Now, for the first time, astronomers have conclusively detected it in the atmosphere of an ultra-hot Jupiter, WASP-33b.
