Atmosphere
This Hot Jupiter is Leaving a Swirling Tail of Helium in its Wake
In a recent study published in Science Advances, a team of researchers commissioned the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), which is designed…
JWST Scans an Ultra-Hot Jupiter’s Atmosphere
When astronomers discovered WASP-18b in 2009, they uncovered one of the most unusual planets ever found. It's ten times as…
You Can Detect Tsunamis as They Push the Atmosphere Around
Anyone who's ever lived along a coastline or been at sea knows the effects of tsunamis. And, they appreciate all…
The Tonga Eruption Was So Powerful it Disrupted Satellites Half a World Away
Remember the huge Tonga eruption in the South Pacific in January 2022? This underwater volcano sent tons of ash into…
Could Next-Generation Telescopes See That Earth Has Life?
While the Earth absorbs a lot of energy from the Sun, a lot of it is reflected back into space.…
The Webb Has Confirmed its First Exoplanet, and it’s the Same Size as Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever launched into space. That power has led to a…
Minerals Could Form on Mars Without an Oxygen-Rich Atmosphere
Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere does more than provide the foundation for complex life. The oxygen in the atmosphere is so reactive…
SOFIA Fails to Find Phosphine in the Atmosphere of Venus, But the Debate Continues
The on-again, off-again detection of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus appears to be off-again – for now. The latest…
NASA is Mapping Giant Clouds of Methane Released by “Super-Emitters” Across the World
Everybody's heard of methane. It's a major part of the atmosphere in places like Uranus and Neptune. On Earth, it's…
The Heaviest Element Ever Seen in an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere: Barium
Astronomers have spotted barium in the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet. With its 56 protons, you have to run your…