Waterworld with a boiling ocean found in deep space by James Webb Telescope
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have found a waterworld with a boiling ocean in deep space.
According to reports, the waterworld is found in the planet, known as TOI-270 d, which is located 70 light-years away from the Earth and is twice its size.
The astronomers who observed the planet’s atmosphere said that they saw water vapour, methane and carbon dioxide, which is consistent with a waterworld. Meanwhile, a team from the University of Cambridge believes that the planet could have a vast ocean-spanning its entire surface. The scientists base this on the lack of ammonia in the atmosphere, which would be absorbed by a large ocean.
Speaking about it, Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, who led the analysis said, “One interpretation is that this is a so-called ‘hycean’ world with a water ocean under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.”
On the other hand, a Canadian astronomer team says that the TOI-270 d might be too hot for liquid water, with temperatures reaching over four thousand degrees Celsius. They believe that the planet could have a rocky surface with a thick atmosphere of hydrogen and water vapour.
Meanwhile, some scientists believe that there might be an ocean on TOI-270 d because they have not detected ammonia in its atmosphere.
It is worth mentioning here that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope designed to conduct infrared astronomy. This telescope can analyze the light from distant stars that have passed through planetary atmospheres, revealing the chemical makeup of those atmospheres.
Ms Kalinga