Scientific findings to read about this month
Recent scientific findings has researchers both scratching their heads and reaching coveted “aha moments.” Here’s a sampling of what’s on the horizon for February.
‘Sunscreen ‘snow’ falls on scorching-hot alien planet’
Exoplanets can (and do!) have some bizarre compositionscompared with what we see in our own solar system, but one spotted in 2017 is among the weirdest ever seen. Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to take a closer look at Kepler-13Ab, which is six times more massive than Jupiter and roughly 1,730 light-years from Earth. The planet is very close to its parent star and therefore extremely hot (5,000 F on the daytime side).
But here’s where things get strange: Hubble found more temperate conditions high in Kepler13Ab’s atmosphere. That itself is not a surprise — other “hot Jupiters” have the same situation — but here, the research team saw evidence of titaniumdioxide snow. How does it form? As the theory goes, the planet has blustery winds that carry the titanium dioxide to the night side. The substance cools and condenses into clouds that then “snow” into the lower atmosphere. It’s the first time this kind of “cold trap” has been seen in an exoplanet.
SOURCE: www.space.com
‘Volcanic rock discovery calls theories about life’s origins into question’
These days, scientists generally agree with the idea that the original recipe for life was pretty simple, but they’re not sure what ingredients were necessary for those early life-forms to make the leap into complex forms of life, like animals. Many scientists theorize that, since all complex life — involving cells that have multiple components — now relies on oxygen to breathe, it must have happened at a time when there was plenty of oxygen in the air. But on Thursday, the scientists behind a study soon to be published in Nature reported that oxygen in the atmosphere didn’t rise to significant levels until after complex life arose — suggesting that oxygen wasn’t all that important after all.
SOURCE: www.inverse.com
Mystery solved! Discovery of organic molecules explains universe’s infrared glow
The universe is filled with faintly glowing infrared light, and for decades, astronomers have been trying to figure out why. But now, they’ve finally determined the source of this strange cosmic radiation: It is emitted by an organic molecule called benzonitrile, which seems to permeate every part of the known universe. The researchers presented their findings at the 231st meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
SOURCE: www.space.com
Five-exoplanet system discovered
A family of four planets orbiting a distant star was discovered last April, with the help of citizen scientists around the world. In a new paper, researchers reveal some fascinating features of this alien solar system, including the presence of a fifth planet.
SOURCE: www.space.com
Wayne Harris-Wyrick is an Oklahoma astronomer and former director of the Kirkpatrick Planetarium at Science Museum Oklahoma, a children’s book author and ghost hunter. Questions or comments may be emailed to wizardwayne@zoho.com.