CALIFORNIA (Web Desk): American astronomers have, for the first time, directly observed and confirmed changes in the thickness of water clouds on a cold celestial object roughly the size of Jupiter.
A research team led by University of Arizona astronomer Brittany Miles used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe a brown dwarf named WISE 0855 for 11 hours. Located approximately 7.5 light-years from Earth, the object is among the coldest brown dwarfs discovered so far, with a temperature of around 265 kelvin.
Brown dwarfs are celestial objects with masses greater than those of planets but smaller than those of stars. They do not have sufficient mass to generate energy through nuclear fusion in the same way as stars.
According to the study, water clouds in the object’s atmosphere become thicker and thinner as it rotates. In addition, chemical gases from deeper layers rise towards the upper atmosphere due to heat.
Scientists recorded the spectrum of light emitted by the object every 15 minutes, allowing them to examine atmospheric changes in detail.
The research has been published in the scientific journal The Astrophysical Journal.
Experts say the discovery represents an important step towards understanding weather conditions and atmospheric systems on other celestial objects. It will also help researchers study the environments of worlds beyond our solar system and the changes taking place in their atmospheres.