exo-cartography Archives - Astrobiology

Map of normalized intensity, Ip/I∗, for the planet Kepler-7b based on orbital phase variations measured by the Kepler mission (adapted from Demory et al. 2013). The intensity is interpreted as reflected light, and hence is proportional to albedo, Ag = (Ip/I∗)(a/R∗) 2 , and the bright region on the planet’s western hemisphere has an albedo of 0.64, suggestive of reflective clouds (Sudarsky et al. 2000; Roman and Rauscher 2017). A possible explanation for the cloud pattern is that particles condense on the planet’s cooler nightside, are advected to the dayside by eastward winds, and sublimate when the star is overhead (Heng and Demory 2013; Parmentier et al. 2016). -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Stellar Cartography

Mapping Exoplanets

by Keith CowingDecember 27, 2023February 16, 2024

The varied surfaces and atmospheres of planets make them interesting places to live, explore, and study from afar.