A group of citizen scientists discovered a new exoplanet that resembles our solar system’s gas giant, Jupiter planet. But this exoplanet is hot Jupiter. This exoplanet, named WASP-77 Ab, is located about 330 light years away from the Earth. This important discovery was announced by an astronomer named Federico Noguer from Arizona State University, who led a team of astronomers.
What is a ‘Hot Jupiter’ exoplanet?
This Jupiter is very different from the Jupiter of our solar system. It is a “hot Jupiter”, a type of exoplanet. This planet is about the same size as Jupiter, but this exoplanet orbits its star much closer than our solar system’s Jupiter.
That’s why this exoplanet is so hot. Its orbiting speed around its star is so fast that this exoplanet completes a single orbit around its star in just 1.36 days. This means it is very close to its star and has a very high temperature.
The scientists who discovered the WASP-77 Ab exoplanet are not professional scientists, but they are citizen scientists. The scientist who made this discovery is very passionate about science, and they wanted to contribute a lot to science.
They used data from various famous telescopes, including NASA’s Spitzer, Hubble Space Telescope and the biggest, James Webb Space Telescope. They combined almost 100 observatories and captured clear images of this exoplanet.
Why Is This Discovery Important?
This discovery is very important because it has given scientists much information about exoplanets like hot Jupiter. It is important for several reasons; first, it helps scientists understand more about “hot Jupiters.” These exoplanets are still a mystery. Scientists are not sure how they form and evolve.
WASP-77 Ab was first discovered in 2012. Scientists believe that this exoplanet was formed billions of years ago. Primarily, it was away from the parent star, but due to some unknown forces, it came closer to its star.
Second, the precise measurements of WASP-77 Ab will help in future studies. Scientists can now predict when the exoplanet will cross in front of its star. This event is called a transit. Transit in which scientists can study the exoplanet’s atmosphere and other things.
Accurate predictions are important for planning observations with space telescopes like JWST and Hubble. These telescopes are highly demanding, and they are busy all the time, and getting time on them is very competitive.
The Discovery Process
The discovery process was a team effort. More than 40 citizen scientists from Exoplanet Watch and ExoClock collaborated on this project. They used archival data from various databases. They were able to reduce the uncertainties in the exoplanet’s mass and orbital period by significant factors. WASP-77 Ab’s mass is now known to be 1.6 times that of Jupiter. Its orbital period is about 1.36 days.
Anthony Norris, a retired dentist and now a citizen scientist, expressed his excitement. “Research opportunities like this give me a way to learn and contribute to this amazingly exciting field of astrophysics,” he said. His statement highlights the importance of citizen science. It shows that anyone with a passion for science can make significant contributions.
The discovery of WASP-77 Ab has several future implications. It will help scientists understand the formation and evolution of “hot Jupiters.” It will also aid in the study of exoplanet atmospheres. This is crucial for finding potentially habitable planets in the future. This discovery is a step forward in our understanding of the universe.
