Unique Atmosphere of Exoplanet Tylos

Using data collected by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, scientists have created the first three-dimensional model of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet called Tylos, or WASP-121b. According to scientists, Tylos is a large gaseous planet that orbits very close to its star. The hot planet’s atmosphere is made up mainly of hydrogen and helium. This is how the atmosphere of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, developed. And so the three-dimensional structure of the planet’s atmosphere has provided new information.

Tylos has three layers of atmosphere. Due to its incredible heat, the planet’s atmosphere consists of gaseous iron in the lowest layer and sodium in the middle layer. Not only that, but a stream of sodium flows around the planet in a circular pattern at a speed of about 70,000 kilometers per hour. This makes Tylos the windiest planet in our solar system.

   

“Such a structure has never been observed before,” said Julia Victoria Seidel, a scientist at the European Southern Observatory. “It provides new information about how atmospheres behave on other planets. Titanium has also been found in the atmosphere of this planet in gaseous form. Iron or titanium is not found in the atmosphere of Earth. These metals are in solid form here due to the low temperatures of our planet. However, there is a sodium layer in the upper atmosphere of Earth.”

Tylos is about the same mass as Jupiter. It is located about 900 light-years from Earth near the constellation Popis. The temperature on one side of the planet is about 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature on the other side is about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. The planet orbits in 1.3 Earth days. That’s why scientists are interested in learning more about the composition of the planet’s atmosphere.