Windy place over 8,600km / h sweeping the universe

British scientists built the first weather map of a planet outside the solar system with winds of up to 8,690km / h.

The planet has an atmospheric wind speed of up to 8690km / h

The planet is named HD 189733b , located in the constellation Vulpecula 63 light-years from Earth. By combining the spectroscopy and the Doppler effect, scientists can measure the wind velocity in the planet's atmosphere.

"Previously we knew about the winds in extrasolar planets, but we never directly measured and mapped the weather system , " UPI quoted Tom Louden, astrophysicist. at the same time as the research leader at the University of Warwick.

Picture 1 of Windy place over 8,600km / h sweeping the universe
The winds on planet HD 189733b have speeds of up to 8,690km / h.(Photo: Mark A. Garlick / University of Warwick).

Using telescopes called High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher in La Silla, Chile, researchers can learn more about the planet's atmosphere by marking the absorption of sodium atoms emitted by radiation from mother star.

After analyzing the spectral changes when the planet moved across the parent star's surface, the team was able to find signs of the Doppler effect and determine the wind velocity on both sides of the planet.

The weather map of HD 189733b shows very strong winds blowing from its daytime face to night . Previous research has shown that the planet is influenced by a tidal lock . The daytime surface is green due to the light scattered from the fog containing silicates in the atmosphere while the planet's high temperature makes the night face glow red.

The research team published the discovery in the Astrophysical Journal on 11/11. The results could help astronomers understand the atmosphere of nearby planets and locate Earth-like planets outside the solar system.