First 3D Map of an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere Reveals Bizarre Weather

Astronomers have uncovered the secrets of an alien atmosphere on an exoplanet far beyond our Solar System, and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. In a scientific first, an international team of astronomers has 3D mapped the atmosphere of planet WASP-121b, also known as Tylos. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (yes, that’s really what it’s called), they identified complex weather patterns and a surprising chemical composition. Their study, published in an early unedited version on Tuesday in the journal Nature, paves the way for future research into extraterrestrial atmospheres. “This planet’s atmosphere behaves in ways that challenge our understanding of how weather works — not just on Earth, but on all planets. It feels like something out of science fiction,” Julia Victoria Seidel, a physicist at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile and lead author of the study, said in an ESO statement. It’s worth mentioning that, since the officia ... Read full article.