Helium-Shrouded Planets

Spitzer_sig15-008_1024

spitzer_sig15-008 June 11th, 2015

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (IPAC)

Planets having atmospheres rich in helium may be common in our galaxy, according to a new theory based on data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. These planets would be around the mass of Neptune, or lighter, and would orbit close to their stars, basking in their searing heat. According to the new theory, radiation from the stars would boil off hydrogen in the planets' atmospheres. Both hydrogen and helium are common ingredients of gas planets like these. Hydrogen is lighter than helium and thus more likely to escape.

After billions of years of losing hydrogen, the planet's atmosphere would become enriched with helium. Scientists predict the planets would appear covered in white or gray clouds.

This is in contrast to our own Neptune, which is blue due to the presence of methane. Methane absorbs the color red, leaving blue. Neptune is far from our sun and hasn't lost its hydrogen. The hydrogen bonds with carbon to form methane.

This artist's concept depicts a proposed helium-atmosphere planet called GJ 436b, which was found by Spitzer to lack in methane -- a first clue about its lack of hydrogen. The planet orbits every 2.6 days around its star, which is cooler than our sun and thus appears more yellow-orange in color.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6061-sig15-008-Helium-Shrouded-Planets

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

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Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Spitzer_sig15-008_1280
×
ID
sig15-008
Subject Category
Subject Name
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (IPAC)
Release Date
2015-06-11
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/6061-sig15-008-Helium-Shrouded-Planets
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig15-008.tif
Metadata Date
2017-03-13
Metadata Version
1.2
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