Atmospheres, Climate, Weather Archives

Observed and best-fit model light-curves (one transit event) for KELT-2 A b, KELT-3 b, KELT-4 A b and KELT-11 b. For each observed transit, Top: the unprocessed light-curve (cyan), light-curve after wavelet denoising (magenta), the best-fit transit model (blue). Middle: the residual after modeling without GP regression (magenta), the mean (blue) and 1-σ interval (cyan) of the best-fit GP regression model. Bottom: mean residual flux (blue). -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Precise Transit Photometry Using TESS: Updated Physical Properties for 28 Exoplanets Around Bright Stars

by Keith CowingJune 5, 2023June 5, 2023

The TESS follow-up of a large number of known transiting exoplanets provide unique opportunity to study their physical properties more precisely.

Vertical flux of ozone (FO3 in molecules m−2 s −1 ) between 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥=190 hPa and 𝑃𝑚𝑖𝑛=8.2 hPa. The predominantly downward exchange at the locations of the Rossby gyres illustrates how the enhanced ozone columns are driven by the downward motions that are part of the stratospheric dayside-to-nightside circulation. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report

Stratospheric Dayside-to-nightside Circulation Drives The 3-D Ozone Distribution On Synchronously Rotating Rocky Exoplanets

by Keith CowingJune 5, 2023June 5, 2023

Determining the habitability and interpreting future atmospheric observations of exoplanets requires understanding the atmospheric dynamics and chemistry from a 3-D perspective.

Van Krevelen diagrams of a) 2 month old sample, b) 1.8 year old sample, c) 3.5 year old sample. The intensity of the points is given by the color code ranging from blue (lowest abundance) to red (highest abundance). Mass spectra of five different families present in the sample are given for the d) 2 month old sample, e) 1.8 year old sample, f) 3.5 year old sample. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report, Titan

Humid Evolution of Haze in the Atmosphere of Super-Earths in the Habitable Zone

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2023June 2, 2023

Photochemical hazes are expected to form and significantly contribute to the chemical and radiative balance of exoplanets with relatively moderate temperatures, possibly in the habitable zone of their host star.

Transmission and weighting functions in the longwave TIR (CO2 𝜈2 band at 15 𝜇m, nadir view, Earth’s midlatitude summer (MLS) atmosphere (Anderson et al. 1986), Gaussian response function of half width Γ = 0.25 cm−1 corresponding to a resolution 𝑅 ≈ 2800.). The upper panels show the transmission as a function of wavenumber for several atmospheric paths (right) and transmission vs. altitude (related to path length 𝑠 = 𝑧ToA − 𝑧) for selected wavenumbers (left). The lower panel shows individual weighting functions for selected wavenumbers (left) and a contour plot. Numbers in the left legends indicate the wavenumber [cm−1 ] and the corresponding peak altitude [km] (bottom-left). -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Assessment of a Physics-based Retrieval of Exoplanet Atmospheric Temperatures from Infrared Emission Spectra

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2023June 2, 2023

Atmospheric temperatures are to be estimated from thermal emission spectra of Earth-like exoplanets orbiting M-stars as observed by current and future planned missions.

Evolution of the s-BGLS periodogram of the CARMENES, HIRES, and HARPS RV data around 36 d (left) and in the region between 90 d and 130 d (right). The periodograms were generated using the residuals after subtracting the respective other periodicity, namely, the 113-d period in the left panel and the 36-d signal in the right panel. Both s-BGLS periodograms include the stellar rotation period. The colorbar on the top shows the Bayesian probability, where higher values are more likely. The right side of each plot indicates the instrument from which the individual added data points originate. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report

The CARMENES Search For Exoplanets Around M Dwarfs. A Sub-Neptunian Mass Planet In The Habitable Zone Of HN Lib

by Keith CowingMay 31, 2023May 31, 2023

We report the discovery of HN Lib b, a sub-Neptunian mass planet orbiting the nearby (d≈ = 6.25 pc) M4.0 V star HN Lib detected by our CARMENES radial-velocity (RV) […]

WASP-18 b, seen in an artist concept, is a gas giant exoplanet 10 times more massive than Jupiter that orbits its star in just 23 hours. Researchers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to study the planet as it moved behind its star. Temperatures there reach 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 C). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech (K. Miller/IPAC)

Astrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release

Webb Maps and Finds Traces of Water in an Ultra-hot Gas Giant’s Atmosphere

by Keith CowingMay 31, 2023May 31, 2023

There’s an intriguing exoplanet out there – 400 light-years out there – that is so tantalizing that astronomers have been studying it since its discovery in 2009. A year for […]

The full 0.6–2.8 µm NIRISS/SOSS spectrum of WASP-96 b from Radica et al. (submitted). The pixel level spectrum is shown in grey, as well as when binned to a resolution of R=500, 250, and 125 in purple, blue, and red respectively. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Awesome SOSS: Atmospheric Characterisation of WASP-96 b using the JWST Early Release Observations

by Keith CowingMay 31, 2023May 29, 2023

The newly operational JWST offers the potential to study the atmospheres of distant worlds with precision that has not been achieved before.

GC chromatogram of carboxylic acids formed by spark discharge in the gas mixture of CO2, CH4, N2, and H2O (rCH4 = 0.25). The sample was analyzed without hydrolysis. C1: formic acid, C2: acetic acid, C3: propanoic acid, iC4: isobutyric acid, C4: butyric acid, iC5: isovaleric acid. -- Life

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun

by Keith CowingMay 31, 2023May 26, 2023

Life most likely started during the Hadean Eon; however, the environmental conditions which contributed to the complexity of its chemistry are poorly known.

Seasonal variations of the latitudinal median extent of the Martian polar caps from EMM/EMIRS retrievals for diurnally stable surface ice. Only maps with a high-quality flag have been considered here. The red dotted line shows the limits of the polar caps derived from the Mars Planetary Climate Model (PCM) with a nominal dust scenario (Forget et al., 1999; Navarro et al., 2014), the green and violet dashed lines show the limits of the NPC derived from MOC and OMEGA observations respectively acquired during MY 24-26 (Benson & James, 2005) and MY 27-28 (App´er´e et al., 2011), and the yellow dotted lines show the limits of the SPC during its MY 27 recession derived from OMEGA observations (Schmidt et al., 2010). -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release

Diurnal and Seasonal Mapping of Martian Ices with EMIRS

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2023May 28, 2023

Condensation and sublimation of ices at the surface of the planet is a key part of both the Martian H2O and CO2 cycles, either from a seasonal or diurnal aspect.

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release, Titan

Spitzer IRS Observations of Titan as a Precursor to JWST MIRI Observations

by Keith CowingMay 22, 2023May 22, 2023

In this work we present, for the first time, infrared spectra of Titan from the Spitzer Space Telescope (2004−2009).

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather

Precise Transit Photometry Using TESS: Updated Physical Properties for 28 Exoplanets Around Bright Stars

Stratospheric Dayside-to-nightside Circulation Drives The 3-D Ozone Distribution On Synchronously Rotating Rocky Exoplanets

Humid Evolution of Haze in the Atmosphere of Super-Earths in the Habitable Zone

Assessment of a Physics-based Retrieval of Exoplanet Atmospheric Temperatures from Infrared Emission Spectra

The CARMENES Search For Exoplanets Around M Dwarfs. A Sub-Neptunian Mass Planet In The Habitable Zone Of HN Lib

Webb Maps and Finds Traces of Water in an Ultra-hot Gas Giant’s Atmosphere

Awesome SOSS: Atmospheric Characterisation of WASP-96 b using the JWST Early Release Observations

Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun

Diurnal and Seasonal Mapping of Martian Ices with EMIRS

Spitzer IRS Observations of Titan as a Precursor to JWST MIRI Observations

ExoClock Unlocked: A Project To Increase Public Participation In Exoplanet Research

Galápagos Hydrothermal Vents Join Third 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Site Listing

Best Bulk Bennu (B3): Elemental Compositions Of Aggregate Samples From Asteroid Bennu K.

The Neptunian Ridge Through The Lens Of TESS

Sulfur Dioxide Sulfide (SSO2): The Elusive Isovalent Analogue of Sulfur Trioxide (SO3)