Scientist were able to measure the temperature of an exoplanet's atmosphere with impressive precision, discovering it was a scorching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The findings were made possible through two approaches: the first was based on the HARPS spectrometer, and the second on a new way of interpreting sodium lines, the University of Geneva reported.
The findings showed planet HD189733b has infernal atmospheric conditions that include ferocious wind speeds and blazing heat. Sodium is a clearly recognizable signal found in the atmosphere of most planets that possess one. When the planet in question passes in front of its host star, these signals vary in intensity. This effect was predicted back in the year 2000 and was later supported with observations from NASA's Hubble Telescope. Before this more recent study, the effect had only ever been detected with giant telescopes.
To make these findings, the researchers used observations already made from the HARPS spectrometer to study sodium lines. Careful study revealed subtle changes in these sodium lines during several transits of HD189733b. The method proved to be just as sensitive as the Hubble telescope, and it was even better in terms of spectral resolution. The findings also led to a new way of interpreting variations in sodium lines, created by Professor Kevin Heng, at Bern University.
"These two studies consequently open up the path of exploring exoplanet atmospheres with tools that are more accessible than giant or space telescopes," the researchers stated.
The study was published in a recent edition of the Astronomy & Astrophysics Journal.
