For the first prison term , researchers have been able-bodied to mention the atmosphere of a satellite between the size of Earth and Neptune . Gliese 3470 bis a world 96 light - long time away , orbiting a ace roughly half the size of the Sun . It is 12.6 time the mass of our planet and somewhat smaller than Neptune , which weighs 17 times the mass of the Earth .
As reported inNature Astronomy , this planet delivered quite the surprise to astronomers . Using the combined power of the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA ’s Spitzer infrared lookout , they discovered a clear atmosphere of H and atomic number 2 , the principal components of star .
" We expect an air strongly enrich in heavier elements like atomic number 8 and carbon copy which are forming abundant piss vaporisation and methane gas , similar to what we see on Neptune , " lead author Björn Benneke , of the University of Montreal , said in astatement . " Instead , we incur an atmosphere that is so wretched in heavy elements that its composition resemble the hydrogen / helium - rich authorship of the Sun . "
And this is quite peculiar . We would only expect the large planets to be capable of stealing primordial hydrogen and atomic number 2 . On theme , Gliese 3470 b seemed a piece too minute ( comparatively ) to carry off this exploit .
" This is a openhanded find from the planet formation perspective , " explained Benneke . " The planet orbits very close to the hotshot and is far less massive than Jupiter – 318 time Earth ’s mass – but has managed to accrete the primal hydrogen / helium ambience that is for the most part ' uncontaminated ' by heavier elements . We do n’t have anything like this in the Solar System , and that ’s what pee-pee it strike . "
The team believes that a likely account for this major planet is that it form powerful where it is now , orb its star in just three days . It quick assembled into a large rocky core and began to slip atomic number 1 and He that would have either finish up on the star or been force away by the stellar winds . But some of the primeval flatulence must have been push forth , otherwise , the team believes , the planet would have gotten much adult .
NASA ’s replacement for both Hubble and Spitzer , the James Webb Space Telescope , will be able to probe this planet ’s aura in even more particular and count at many more exoplanets . planet of alike size to Gliese 3470 b are extremely vulgar , so knowing their composition gives us a better estimate of how these and other planetal system form .
