Sulfur in the Clouds: Webb Spies a Super-Neptune's Atmosphere ⚡ экспресс
Original: "JWST-TST DREAMS: Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of the Neptune-mass planet HAT-P-26 b from NIRSpec G395H transmission spectroscopy"
The James Webb Space Telescope has sniffed out sulfur dioxide—the gas that smells like burnt matches—in a warm Neptune's atmosphere for the first time, proving that stellar ultraviolet light 'cooks' chemistry on planets across a range of temperatures.
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The James Webb Space Telescope has caught a whiff of burnt matches in the skies of planet HAT-P-26 b. That's sulfur dioxide—a telltale sign that the star's ultraviolet light is constantly reshaping its atmosphere. This 'light kitchen' even works on planets cooler than 1000°C, meaning the chemical diversity of worlds is far greater than we thought.
🎯 Astronomers call all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium 'metals,' so carbon, oxygen, and sulfur are metals to them too.
🎬 In the series 'The Expanse,' characters scan the atmospheres of distant planets for signs of life; now, such diagnostics are a reality for dozens of worlds.