First identified in 2016 by JAXA’s Akatsuki mission, the discontinuity/disruption is a recurrent wave observed to propagate during decades at the deeper clouds of Venus (47–56 km above the surface), […]
Clouds
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
YunMa: Enabling Spectral Retrievals of Exoplanetary Clouds
In this paper, we present YunMa, a model which enables the study of cloud microphysics and radiative properties in exoplanetary atmospheres.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A JWST NIRSpec Phase Curve for WASP-121b: Dayside Emission Strongest Eastward of the Substellar Point and Nightside Conditions Conducive to Cloud Formation
We present the first exoplanet phase curve measurement made with the JWST NIRSpec instrument, highlighting the exceptional stability of this newly-commissioned observatory for exoplanet climate studies.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Mars, Press Release
Martian Dust Storms Churn Up Earth-like Clouds
Earth and Mars have vastly different atmospheres. The dry, cold atmosphere of Mars is composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide while Earth’s is rich in nitrogen and oxygen. Its atmospheric […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Hubble WFC3 Spectroscopy of the Rocky Planet L 98-59 b: No Evidence for a Cloud-Free Primordial Atmosphere
We are using archived data from HST of transiting exoplanet L~98-59~b to place constraints on its potentially hot atmosphere.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
A Radiative-Convective Model For Terrestrial Planets With Self-Consistent Patchy Clouds
Clouds are ubiquitous – they arise for every solar system planet that possesses an atmosphere and have also been suggested as a leading mechanism for obscuring spectral features in exoplanet […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Climate Of High Obliquity Exo-terrestrial Planets With A Three-dimensional Cloud System Resolving Climate Model
Planetary climates are strongly affected by planetary orbital parameters such as obliquity, eccentricity, and precession.
Posted inAriel Mission, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Missions & Hardware
The Ariel Target List: The Impact of TESS and the Potential for Characterising Multiple Planets Within a System
The ESA Ariel mission has been adopted for launch in 2029 and will conduct a survey of around one thousand exoplanetary atmospheres during its primary mission life. By providing homogeneous […]
Posted inAriel Mission, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Ariel: Enabling Planetary Science Across Light-years
Ariel, the Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey, was adopted as the fourth medium-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme to be launched in 2029.
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
The Role of Clouds on the Depletion of Methane and Water Dominance in the Transmission Spectra of Irradiated Exoplanets
Observations suggest an abundance of water and paucity of methane in the majority of observed exoplanetary atmospheres. We isolate the effect of atmospheric processes to investigate possible causes. Previously, we […]