The James Webb International Space Telescope has, for the first time, detected evidence of carbon dioxide (CO2) In the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system, WASP-39 Ba gas giant located 700 light years from Earth.
The revelation was announced in a joint statement by NASAThe US space agency, and the European Space Agency ESA, Thursday morning (25).
NASA explains that understanding the composition of the planet’s atmosphere can help us learn more about its origin and evolution. For this reason, the discovery of the chemical compound was very celebrated by the scientists responsible for the study, which is supposed to be published soon in the journal. temper nature.
“As soon as the data appeared on my screen, the stark property of carbon dioxide shocked me,” said Zafar Rostamkulov, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University who was involved in the research.
“It was a special moment, crossing an important threshold in exoplanet science. [aqueles fora do Sistema Solar”, acrescentou.
Por que o CO2 é importante?
Embora outros telescópios espaciais como Hubble e o Spitzer tenham detectado anteriormente substâncias como vapor de água, sódio e potássio na atmosfera do WASP-39 b, essa foi a primeira vez que o composto químico foi detectado fora do Sistema Solar (Vênus e Marte têm atmosferas feitas de CO2).
“As moléculas de dióxido de carbono são marcadores sensíveis da história da formação do planeta”, afirmou Mike Line, da Arizona State University, que também participou da pesquisa.
“Quando a gente mede essa característica do dióxido de carbono, podemos determinar o quanto de material gasoso e sólido foi usado para formar este planeta gigante de gás”, detalhou.
(VÍDEO: Veja as primeiras fotos divulgadas pelo supertelescópio James Webb.)
Veja as primeiras fotos divulgadas pelo supertelescópio James Webb.
A Nasa explica ainda que, aqui na Terra, o CO2 na atmosfera funciona para reter o calor perto da Terra. É justamente o composto que ajuda o nosso planeta a reter parte da energia que recebe do Sol.
“Se não fosse por esse efeito estufa [causado pelo gás]Earth’s oceans will freeze. Earth will not be the beautiful blue-green planet that harbors life.”
According to the scientists involved in the study, Webb’s success in observing carbon dioxide at WASP shows that the super telescope will also be able to detect and measure carbon dioxide even in the thinnest atmospheres of small rocky planets, something that has hitherto been impossible for Hubble or other space telescopes. . .
“Over the next decade, James Webb will take this measurement of a variety of planets, providing insights into the details of how planets form and the uniqueness of our solar system,” Lane added.
