First-Ever Documented Supersonic Winds Are Ripping Through This Exoplanet

^{Published on 2025-01-21 12:22:18 - Gizmodo}

Astronomers discovered the exoplanet in 2016, a gas giant that's slightly larger than Jupiter with a fraction of its mass, making it rather puffy. WASP-127b takes a little over four days to orbit around its star, a yellow dwarf, or G-type star, which are typically less massive and cooler than our Sun.

The article from Gizmodo discusses a groundbreaking discovery about the exoplanet WASP-107b, where astronomers have observed supersonic winds traveling at speeds of up to 1,300 miles per hour (2,100 kilometers per hour). This phenomenon was detected using the Hubble Space Telescope, which analyzed the light passing through the planet's atmosphere during its transit across its host star. The high-speed winds are believed to be caused by the extreme temperature differences between the star-facing side and the opposite side of the planet, leading to a massive transfer of heat and material across the planet. This discovery not only provides insights into the atmospheric dynamics of exoplanets but also marks the first time such supersonic winds have been observed on a planet outside our solar system, offering a new understanding of how weather systems might operate on distant worlds.

Read the Full Gizmodo Article at:
[ https://gizmodo.com/supersonic-winds-are-ripping-through-this-exoplanet-at-record-breaking-speeds-2000552735 ]

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First-Ever Documented Supersonic Winds Are Ripping Through This Exoplanet