Partially Cloudy Skies on Kepler-7b

Spitzer_ssc2013-08a_1024

spitzer_ssc2013-08a September 30th, 2013

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MIT/R. Hurt (IPAC)

Kepler-7b (left), which is 1.5 times the radius of Jupiter (right), is the first exoplanet to have its clouds mapped. The cloud map was produced using data from NASA's Kepler and Spitzer space telescopes.

The map shows that clouds cover the western side of the gaseous planet, leaving the east cloud-free. Researchers speculate the clouds are made up of minerals containing silicates.

Kepler-7b is one of the puffiest, or least dense, planets known. While it is 1.5 times the size of Jupiter is has only about half the mass.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5674-ssc2013-08a-Partially-Cloudy-Skies-on-Kepler-7b

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

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Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Object Name
Kepler-7b
Subject - Milky Way
Planet > Type > Gas Giant
Planet > Special Cases > Hot Jupiter
Spitzer_ssc2013-08a_1280
×
ID
ssc2013-08a
Subject Category
B.1.1.2   B.1.3.2  
Subject Name
Kepler-7b
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MIT/R. Hurt (IPAC)
Release Date
2013-09-30
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5674-ssc2013-08a-Partially-Cloudy-Skies-on-Kepler-7b
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
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2013-08a.tif
Resource URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/uploaded_files/images/0009/7026/ssc2013-08a.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2017-03-13
Metadata Version
1.2
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