Finding CO2 on a planet outside the solar system

The Hubble Space Telescope has just discovered CO ₂ and CO in the atmosphere of a distant planet. This is an important step in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Jupiter image taken by Hubble Space Telescope.Photo: Reuters.

Mark Swain, a NASA scientist, uses infrared cameras and Hubble telescope spectrum analyzers to observe light rays with a smaller wavelength than the infrared beam emitted by HD 189733b, a planet located 63 light-years away from Earth and about the size of Jupiter.

After analyzing the images, Mark found that the atmosphere of this planet has CO2 and CO. "CO2 and CO only absorb some light radiation that has a smaller wavelength than infrared, so I discovered them. CO ₂ is what makes us excited, because in the right conditions, It can create many biological activities like on Earth, " Mark added.

HD 189733b has a surface temperature of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius - too hot for biological activities. However, NASA still believes that the existence of CO2 on an Earth-like planet allows us to hope for the ability to find the first evidence of life in the universe someday. . After a closer analysis of the images Hubble captured, NASA scientists realized that the atmosphere of HD 189733b not only contained CO2, CO, but also methane and water vapor.

"We don't know much about HD 189733b, but it has the necessary chemical compounds for life ," said Ray Villard, a NASA expert.

Launched into space 18 years ago, the Hubble giant telescope helped people make a revolution in observing the universe. Moving 575 km away from the Earth's surface, it allows astronomers to more accurately calculate the age and origin of the universe, the explosion of super-massive planets, discovering bodies outside the solar system. .

* A light year is the distance that light can travel in a vacuum in a year, equivalent to 9.46 trillion kilometers.