Researchers mapped the temperature and water vapor on a distant exoplanet using its glow.
The findings provide insight into atmospheric dynamics and how giant planets such as Jupiter were formed, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) reported.
"Our observations are the first of their kind in terms of providing a two-dimensional map of the planet's thermal structure that can be used to constrain atmospheric circulation and dynamical models for hot exoplanets," said team member Kevin Stevenson of the University of Chicago.
The findings reveal the planet, dubbed WASP-43b, has a harsh environment characterized by extremely strong winds coupled with 3,000-degree-Fahrenheit days and 1,000-degree-Fahrenheit nights.
The planet is located 260 light-years away from Earth, making it too distant to photograph. It is essentially a "hot ball of hydrogen gas" and does not contain surface features such as oceans and continents, making its torrential weather the only way to track its orbit.
The planet is about the same size as Jupiter, but twice as massive and so close to its host star it completes an orbit in just 19 hours.
The researchers used techniques such as Spectroscopy to determine the water abundance and temperature of the planet; they were able to back up these findings by observing its rotation. The findings suggest the planet is so hot that all the atmospheric water is vaporized, as opposed to condensed into clouds like on Jupiter.
"Water is thought to play an important role in the formation of giant planets, since comet-like bodies bombard young planets, delivering most of the water and other molecules that we can observe," said Jonathan Fortney, a member of the team from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Water abundance in Hot Jupiters, such as WASP-43b, is largely unknown. This study is a breakthrough because researchers were able to precisely measure the water content on the exoplanet. The findings suggest the planet has the same chemical composition as would be expected from a Sun-sized planet, which has implications into how it was formed.
In the future the James Webb Space Telescope, which will replace Hubble, will be able to also measure the amount of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane, on these distant exoplanets.
