Hubble image archive
Cloudy vs. Clear Atmospheres on Exoplanets WASP-67 b and HAT-P-38 b
This diagram compares Hubble Space Telescope observations of two "hot Jupiter"-class planets orbiting very closely to different sunlike stars. Astronomers measured how light from each parent star is filtered through each planet's atmosphere. Hubble near-infrared observations were...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2017
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2017-22-4050-image
This diagram compares Hubble Space Telescope observations of two "hot Jupiter"-class planets orbiting very closely to different sunlike stars. Astronomers measured how light from each parent star is filtered through each planet's atmosphere. Hubble near-infrared observations were used to measure the spectral fingerprint caused by the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere. HAT-P-38 b did have a water signature indicated by the absorption-feature peak in the spectrum. This is interpreted as indicating the upper atmosphere is free of clouds or hazes. By contrast, a very similar hot Jupiter, WASP-67 b, has a flat spectrum that lacks any water-absorption feature. This suggests that most of the planet's atmosphere is masked by high-altitude clouds.
Credits
Artwork
NASA, ESA, Zena Levy (STScI)
Science
NASA, ESA, Giovanni Bruno (STScI)
Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | HAT-P-38 b WASP-67 b |
| Object Description | Extrasolar planet |
| R.A. Position | HAT-P-38 b: 02h 21m 31.9s; WASP-67b: 19h 42m 59.0s |
| Dec. Position | HAT-P-38 b: +32° 14' 46"; WASP-67 b: -19° 56' 58" |
| Distance | HAT-P-38 b: 812 light-years (249 parsecs); WASP-67 b: 734 light-years (225 parsecs) |
| Dimensions | HAT-P-38 b is is 0.825 times Jupiter's diameter. WASP-67 b is 2.8 times Jupiter's diameter |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The data used in the HAT-P-38 b and WASP-67 b studies were from proposal , P.I. Drake Deming (University of Maryland). |
| Instrument | HST>WFC3/IR |
| Exposure Dates | HAT-P-38 b: Mar. 2, 2016 - Aug. 26, 2016; WASP-67 b: Oct. 22, 2016 |
| Filters | HAT-P-38 b: WFC3/IR G141 (red grism), 282 minutes WASP-67 b: WFC3/IR G141 (red grism), 108 minutes |
Downloads
Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov