Researchers: Exoplanet's Winds Blast At 5,400MPH

Researchers at the University of Warwick, the same university responsible for the picture of a planet with a blood red ring, have discovered an exoplanet beyond our solar system that has hellish blasting winds. The discovery is notable for more than one reason, but chiefly because it is the first time ever that scientists have mapped and measured the weather on a planet beyond our solar system.

The researchers focused their work on the exoplanet HD 189733b, which they found has winds blasting at 5,400MPH; the winds are blowing from the planet's dayside to its night side, and doing so at speeds 20 times faster than the fastest wind to ever be record on our own planet.

The team's lead researcher Dr. Tom Louden said, "HD 189733b's velocity was measured using high resolution spectroscopy of the Sodium absorption featured in its atmosphere. As parts of HD 189733b's atmosphere move towards or away from the Earth the Doppler effect changes the wavelength of this feature, which allows the velocity to be measured."

The technique used by the researchers could prove useful in the future study of other similar planets, making it possible to map their weather systems. In this case, the aforementioned exoplanet is 10-percent larger than Jupiter with a temperature of 1,800 celsius.

VIA: Phys.org