Did you know that certain regions of outer space might not smell like roses?
Scientists have found that the exoplanet HD 189733b is giving off a foul smell reminiscent of rotten eggs because of its turbulent weather and hydrogen sulfide-rich atmosphere.
This discovery could provide valuable insights into how sulfur impacts the atmospheres and dynamics of celestial bodies in our solar system.
The study, published July 8 in the journal Nature, provides more comprehensive details of the scientists' findings.
New Exoplanet Filled With Smelly Gas
Scientists have confirmed that HD 189733b is not a planet capable of supporting life; rather, it is predominantly composed of hydrogen gas with a scent resembling that of rotten eggs.
Image illustration of HD 189733 b | Roberto Molar Candanosa/Johns Hopkins University
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) provided the data for this study. HD 189733b is known as the closest "hot Jupiter" outside our solar system, located just 64 light years away from Earth. Astronomers are able to observe it passing in front of the star it orbits.
It was first discovered in 2005, and it has subsequently been used for studying exoplanetary atmospheres.
More details show that it is approximately 13 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Earth's sun.
Scientists also provided a fun fact about this exoplanet.
According to them, HD 189733b rains glass that blows sideways due to 5,000 mile-per-hour winds.
The study co-author, Johns Hopkins University astrophysicist Guangwei Fu, said they didn't know they would find this egg-smelling gas outside of our solar system.
“Hydrogen sulfide is a major molecule that we didn’t know was there. We predicted it would be, and we know it’s in Jupiter, but we hadn’t really detected it outside the solar system,” he said.
He also added that they weren't looking for life on this exoplanet as it was almost impossible due to the hotness.
“We’re not looking for life on this planet because it’s way too hot, but finding hydrogen sulfide is a stepping stone for finding this molecule on other planets and gaining more understanding of how different types of planets form,” he added.
Methane not Present in HD 189733b - Scientists Say
Guangwei Fu also mentioned that they believe Methane isn't present in HD 189733b.
The researchers based this assertion on infrared wavelength observations. This challenges previous assertions about Methane being abundant in the atmospheres of exoplanets like this one.
“We had been thinking this planet was too hot to have high concentrations of methane, and now we know that it doesn’t,” Fu added.
Other important information about the newly discovered planet is that it has levels of heavy metals similar to those on Jupiter.
“The findings support our understanding of how planets form through creating more solid material after initial core formation and then are naturally enhanced with heavy metals,” he said.