The new discovery of the James Webb space telescope; Quartz crystals in the atmosphere of an exoplanet

Since its launch, the James Webb Space Telescope has been able to transmit a lot of new information from distant and extraterrestrial worlds. In the latest data of this telescope, the presence of tiny quartz nanocrystals in the burning gases of a planet’s atmosphere has been observed.

According to Tekna technology and technology news service, the extrasolar planet WASP-17 b is about 1,300 light years away from Earth and is classified as a warm planet like Jupiter. During the recent discovery of the James Webb telescope, the presence of quartz crystals in this planet, in addition to better understanding how exoplanets are formed, also provides important information about their habitability.

This planet is orbiting its parent star, which takes about 3.7 Earth days. According to published information, this is the first discovery in the atmosphere of an exoplanet in which silica particles can be seen.

This discovery can help scientists to understand and identify the type of exoplanet cloud evolution. Previously, Hubble telescope data had reported the presence of fine cloud particles or fog in the atmosphere of this planet. Of course, researchers never thought that the particles detected by Hubble were quartz. Also, this detected substance is like the hexagonal prisms on the earth. Their size is very small and only 10 nanometers.

Quartz is a type of silicate composed of minerals rich in silicon and oxygen, and it is currently found in the solar system. There are also various types of silicates in various forms throughout the galaxy. But according to scientists, the silicate minerals that exist in the atmosphere of exoplanets may be different from the composition of the earth or what exists in other galaxies.