Скачать или смотреть Analysing the atmosphere of exoplanets | Spectrum

Exoplanets fascinate astronomers the most.

What do they look like?
Can we breathe there?
Is life possible on them?

To answer these, we need to study the atmospheres of such exoplanets.

By studying the planet's atmosphere, we can determine it's composition, temperature and density, and whether the planet is suitable for life. However, planets do not emit light on their own. They can be detected only when they pass in front of their parent star. This is known as a transit, during which the planet blocks a small portion of the star's light. These subtle dips in the star's brightness help us to detect the planets. This method, known as transit method, also helps to detect the size of the planet.

Also, a tiny fraction of the star's light passes through the planet's atmosphere, which interacts with the chemical elements in the planet's atmosphere. Each atom and molecule in the atmosphere absorbs light at specific wavelengths, while allowing other wavelengths to pass through. The resulting spectrum shows distinct dark lines - absorption lines, which correspond to specific elements. The stronger the line, the more of the corresponding element is present. The occurrence and position of these lines in the spectrum are unique for different elements. Thus, they are like fingerprints of the elements.

The spectrum is enough to study the atmospheric composition, and get an idea of the planet's appearance. Hubble is one of the few telescopes powerful enough to study exoplanets. Recently, TESS has been launched, which will help us to detect exoplanets. These newly detected exoplanets will be studied by the JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE in great details in future.


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Resources:
Animation clips: ESA/Hubble, ESO
Music: Cry by Vibe Tracks

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