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An exoplanet with a daytime temperature hot enough to vaporize iron has methane on its nightside because of an atmospheric circulation that should not be able to exist at that heat

The James Webb Space Telescope found abundant methane on the nightside of WASP-121b. This discovery contradicts current models because the planet's dayside reaches temperatures of approximately 3,000°C. The presence of methane suggests atmospheric circulation patterns that should not exist at such heat.

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What changed

New observations reveal a chemical asymmetry between the dawn and dusk sides of WASP-121b.

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  1. JWST Detects Methane on Ultra-Hot Exoplanet WASP-121b

    The James Webb Space Telescope found abundant methane on the nightside of WASP-121b. This discovery contradicts current models because the planet's dayside reaches temperatures of approximately 3,000°C. The presence of methane suggests atmospheric circulation patterns that should not exist at such heat.

    What's confirmed:

    • The exoplanet WASP-121b has abundant methane on its nightside.
    • Dayside temperatures on WASP-121b reach approximately 3,000°C.
    • Thomas Evans-Soma of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy led the research team.
    • The team used the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph for the observations.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • WASP-121b may have migrated from a frozen zone to its current orbit.
    • The planet experiences winds of 18,000 kilometers per hour.
    • The planet has rainfall consisting of liquid metal, rubies, and sapphires.
    • Intense vertical winds are reshaping the understanding of planetary atmospheres.
    confidence 90%