James Webb Space Telescope spots unusual world with terrifying clouds

2025-04-28 06:13:06admin

A bad day at the beach is better than a good day at the office, but that saying wouldn't hold up in a recently studied world 40 light-years from Earth, where every day might be a gusty beach purgatory.

On exoplanet VHS 1256 b, the clouds swirl with sizzling, gritty flecks of sand. The weather might give visitors a great exfoliating facial, but it definitely wouldn't be relaxing. Up in the clouds, temperatures reach a scorching 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. It's a perpetual, blistering sandstorm. And when the clouds get too heavy, rainstorms likely pelt the planet with the sandy mixture, scientists say.

"The finer silicate grains in its atmosphere may be more like tiny particles in smoke," said Beth Biller of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, in a statement. "The larger grains might be more like very hot, very small sand particles."

Researchers recently used the James Webb Space Telescope, the preeminent observatory in the sky run by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, to study the unusual exoplanet. The telescope's observations reveal a world with some similar characteristics to Earth's while including many other brutal conditions.

SEE ALSO: An enormous Martian cloud returns every spring. Scientists found out why.

Tweet may have been deleted

For instance, scientists found the planet's atmosphere had clear signs of water, methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide — familiar chemicals in this world. Its days are only two hours shorter than ours.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

But it takes 10,000 years for it to make a complete trip around its two stars. A NASA Twitter account described it as "Tatooine-like," referencing Luke Skywalker's home in Star Wars, which had twin sunsets. Given how far away the planet is from its host stars — about four times farther than Pluto is from the sun — their light wouldn't shine that bright.

The new findings were published inThe Astrophysical Journal Letterson March 22.

Tweet may have been deleted

Want more scienceand tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newslettertoday.

"The larger grains might be more like very hot, very small sand particles."

One of Webb's primary purposes is to study the atmospheres of other planets outside our solar system through what's known as exoplanet spectra. Molecules within an atmosphere absorb certain light wavelengths, or colors. By splitting the light into its basic parts — a rainbow — astronomers can detect what light segments are missing to discern the molecular makeup of the atmosphere. Since this particular exoplanet orbits at such a long distance from its stars, it was easier than usual to perform this type of study, according to the coauthors of the paper.