Astronomers Uncover Cloud Cycles on Exoplanet WASP-94A b Using JWST
Astronomers de-fog exoplanet atmospheres with new cloud-detecting method

Image: Phys.org
Astronomers have identified distinct cloud cycles on the exoplanet WASP-94A b, located nearly 700 light years away, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The study reveals that mornings are cloudy with magnesium silicate, while evenings are clear, allowing for a clearer understanding of the planet's atmospheric composition.
- 01WASP-94A b experiences morning clouds made of magnesium silicate, while evenings are clear, highlighting significant weather differences.
- 02The research suggests two potential mechanisms for the cloud cycles: powerful winds or extreme temperature changes leading to vaporization.
- 03The JWST allows for localized observations, providing clearer data than previous Hubble observations, which averaged cloud and atmospheric data.
- 04The new findings indicate that WASP-94A b has only five times the oxygen and carbon levels of Jupiter, contradicting earlier assumptions.
- 05The study also identified similar cloud cycles on two other hot gas giants, WASP-39 b and WASP-17 b, suggesting a broader phenomenon.
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Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-94A b, located nearly 700 light years from Earth in the Microscopium constellation, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This research, published in the journal Science, reveals that the planet exhibits distinct weather patterns, with cloudy mornings characterized by clouds of magnesium silicate and clear evenings. The findings suggest that powerful winds may lift clouds during the cooler nightside and then plunge them into the planet's interior during the scorching daytime, or that the clouds vaporize as they transition from night to day. This dichotomy in weather significantly alters the understanding of the planet's atmospheric composition, showing it has only five times the oxygen and carbon levels of Jupiter, rather than the previously thought hundreds of times more. The study also noted similar cloud cycles in two other hot gas giants, WASP-39 b and WASP-17 b, indicating that these cloud dynamics may be common among such exoplanets. Future research will expand the search for cloud cycling across various exoplanets, potentially including those in habitable zones.
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