Hubble image archive
Comparison of WASP-121b Stratosphere with Brown Dwarf Atmosphere
This diagram presents evidence for the existence of a stratosphere on a planet orbiting another star. As on Earth, the stratosphere increases in temperature with altitude. The water emissions from the Jupiter-sized planet's upper atmosphere show this. The results are in marked co...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2017
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2017-31-4064-image
This diagram presents evidence for the existence of a stratosphere on a planet orbiting another star. As on Earth, the stratosphere increases in temperature with altitude. The water emissions from the Jupiter-sized planet's upper atmosphere show this. The results are in marked contrast to the spectrum of a failed star, a brown dwarf, which shows water absorption because the atmosphere is cooling with altitude increase.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)
Downloads
Source
Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
View on NASA.gov