Episode 561: Water Vapor Seen In the Atmosphere Of An Exoplanet. It Might Even Be Rain

We’re learning more and more about extrasolar planets, and for the first time, astronomers have discovered water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star. The planet is located in the habitable zone of its star, so this might even be rain.

Of course, it’s not all good news, it’s much more massive than Earth, with higher gravity, and is probably bathed in radiation from its red dwarf star. But, it’s a good start in the search for habitable places in the Universe, places where there might be life.

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Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / [email protected]

Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw

Chad Weber - [email protected]

References:

https://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1916/

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/sep/11/rocky-super-earth-k2-18b-named-most-habitable-known-world-beyond-solar-system

https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.04292

http://exoplanet.eu/catalog/k2-18_b/

https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=surface+gravity+calculator&assumption=%7B%22F%22%2C+%22GravitationalAcceleration%22%2C+%22r%22%7D+-%3E%226371.000+*+2.2+km%22&assumption=%7B%22FS%22%7D+-%3E+%7B%7B%22GravitationalAcceleration%22%2C+%22g%22%7D%7D&assumption=%7B%22F%22%2C+%22GravitationalAcceleration%22%2C+%22M%22%7D+-%3E%225.972%C3%9710%5E24+kg+*+8%22&assumption=%22FSelect%22+-%3E+%7B%7B%22GravitationalAcceleration%22%7D%7D

https://sci.esa.int/web/cosmic-vision/-/59796-esa-s-next-science-mission-to-focus-on-nature-of-exoplanets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR_uEh0qhk4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PstUvHlKEg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCTGIxmM-e4