A detailed study of the planets outside the solar system reveals unexpected secrets and surprises. The next riddle and reason for the work of scientists presented the so-called "hot Jupiter". These are gaseous exoplanets, among which there are gigantic, larger than our Jupiter, specimens.
The orbit of rotation of “hot Jupiter” around its central planet is less than the orbit of motion Mercury relative to the Sun. Such an arrangement makes celestial bodies incredibly hot and, as a result, difficult to access.
However, observations from the Hubble Space Telescope indicate that many of the hot Jupiters contain water. This led to an international team of astronomers to conduct additional research. For observation and comparative analysis, 10 exoplanets were selected. With the help of Hubble and the Spitzer infrared telescope, owned by NASA, astronomers studied the atmospheres of the planets. It was found out that some of the hot Jupiters have clouds and gas accumulations above the surface, and some do not. The telescope has established that in the atmosphere of cloudless exoplanets, absorption in the infrared is traced. This is a sign of the presence of water on the planets. Also, a team of scientists came to the conclusion that behind gaseous clouds and haze around the ardent planets are hidden signs of water.
"These observations force science to reconsider the theory that such planets form in an environment devoid of water," Jonathan Fortney, an astronomer at the University of California at Santa Cruz, said research results confirm that there is water behind the clouds.
