An artisti's concept of an unusual, methane-free world partially eclipsed by its star.
An artisti's concept of an unusual, methane-free world partially eclipsed by its star. The Spitzer Space Telescope has found evidence that a hot, Neptune-sized exoplanet orbiting a star beyond our sun lacks methane, an ingredient common to many planets in our own solar system. Models of planetary atmospheres indicate that any world with the common mix of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, and a temperature up to 1,000 Kelvin (1,340 degrees Fahrenheit) should have a large amount of methane and a small amount of carbon monoxide. The planet illustrated here, called GJ 436b is about 800 Kelvin (or 980 degrees Fahrenheit). and it was expected to have methane but Spitzer's observations shows it does not.
Size: 4725px × 3651px
Photo credit: © Stocktrek Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: 436, 436b, astrobiology, astronomy, astrophysics, atmosphere, bright, close-, concept, dwarfs, eclipse, exobiology, exoplanet, extrasolar, flare, gas, giant, giants, gj, gliese, glow, heat, horizontal, hot, illustration, jovian, orbit, planet, planetary, planets, red, rendition, science, space, stars, systems, transit, universe, world
