Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2024 May 3
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                     Temperatures on Exoplanet WASP-43b
   Illustration Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, Ralf Crawford ([6]STScI)
     Science: Taylor Bell (BAERI), Joanna Barstow (The Open University),
                   Michael Roman (University of Leicester)

   Explanation: [7]A mere 280 light-years from Earth, tidally locked,
   Jupiter-sized exoplanet WASP-43b orbits its parent star once every 0.8
   Earth days. That puts it about 2 million kilometers (less than 1/25th
   the orbital distance of Mercury) from a small, cool sun. Still, on a
   dayside always facing its parent star, temperatures approach a torrid
   2,500 degrees F as measured at [8]infrared wavelengths by the MIRI
   instrument on board the James Webb Space Telescope. [9]In this
   illustration of the hot exoplanet's orbit, Webb measurements also show
   nightside temperatures remain above 1,000 degrees F. That suggests that
   strong equatorial winds circulate the dayside atmospheric gases to the
   nightside before they can completely cool off. Exoplanet WASP-43b is
   now [10]formally known as Astrolábos, and its K-type parent star has
   been christened Gnomon. [11]Webb's infrared spectra indicate water
   vapor is present on the nightside as well as the dayside of the planet,
   providing information about [12]cloud cover on Astrolábos.

                       Tomorrow's picture: a new hope
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply.
               [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2405/STScI-WASP43b_temperature.png
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/
   6. https://www.stsci.edu/
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/wasp-43-b/
   8. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2024/news-2024-117
   9. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2024/117/01HW67W24KX2ZP8M56MSCG6NDY
  10. https://wasp-planets.net/tag/wasp-43/
  11. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02230-x
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-maps-weather-on-planet-280-light-years-away/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240502.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240503
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240504.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/