Current:Home > NewsFastexy:'Stinky' giant planet where it rains glass also has a rotten egg odor, researchers say -AssetTrainer
Fastexy:'Stinky' giant planet where it rains glass also has a rotten egg odor, researchers say
PredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 06:14:50
People of Earth are Fastexyin luck they are 64 light-years away from a planet that is scorching hot and smells like rotten eggs, according to researchers.
Planet HD 189733b is a gas giant exoplanet discovered in 2005, according to NASA.
"This far-off blue planet may look like a friendly haven – but don’t be deceived! Weather here is deadly," the U.S. government agency said. "The planet’s cobalt blue color comes from a hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing clouds laced with glass."
A study published on Monday in the journal Nature found something new concerning HD 189733b: its pungent smell. The new data was found from the James Webb Space Telescope, including the detection of a trace of hydrogen sulfide, which is known for its rotten egg odor at low concentrations, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
"Yes, the stinky smell would certainly add to its already infamous reputation. This is not a planet we humans want to visit, but a valuable target for furthering our understanding of planetary science," astrophysicist Guangwei Fu of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature, told Reuters.
Hydrogen sulfide is also known to be "extremely flammable and highly toxic," according to OSHA.
HD 189733b is a 'hot Jupiter' planet
The planet is categorized as a "hot Jupiter," meaning it is a gas giant similar to Jupiter but much hotter due to it being close to a star, NASA said. HD 189733b orbits 170 times closer to its host star than Jupiter does to the sun, according to the government agency. The planet completes one orbit every two days compared to the 12 years Jupiter takes for one orbit of the sun.
"They are quite rare," Fu said about hot Jupiters, per Reuters. "About less than one in 100 star systems have them."
Jupiter does have some trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide in its atmosphere, but not nearly as much as HD 189733b. The planet is also about 10% bigger than Jupiter in diameter and mass, according to NASA.
HD 189733b's proximity to Earth makes it easier to study
Although we can not smell HD 189733b, researchers can study it better based on its proximity to Earth.
"The close distance makes it bright and easy for detailed studies," Fu said, per Reuters. "For example, the hydrogen sulfide detection reported here would be much more challenging to make on other faraway planets."
So far, HD 189733b is the first exoplanet to have traces of hydrogen sulfide.
veryGood! (977)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Mexico confirms some Mayan ruin sites are unreachable because of gang violence and land conflicts
- Texas border standoff: What to know about Eagle Pass amid state, federal dispute
- 3 men were found dead in a friend’s backyard after watching a Chiefs game. Here’s what we know
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Trump's lawyer questioned one of E. Jean Carroll's books during his trial. Copies are now selling for thousands.
- Jon Stewart to return as The Daily Show host — one day a week
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expected to return to Pentagon Monday for first time since hospitalization
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Biden is trying to balance Gaza protests and free speech rights as demonstrators disrupt his events
Ranking
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Texas border standoff: What to know about Eagle Pass amid state, federal dispute
- Trump praises Texas governor as border state clashes with Biden administration over immigration
- A snowboarder spent 15 hours trapped in a ski gondola. She rubbed her hands and feet to keep warm
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Khloe Kardashian's Son Tatum Bonds With Their Cat in Adorable Video
- Nitrogen hypoxia execution was sold as 'humane' but witnesses said Kenneth Smith was gasping for air
- Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are in Saudi Arabia to continue their around-the-world preseason tour
Recommendation
McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
'Buffalo Fluffalo' has had enuffalo in this kids' bookalo
'You have legging legs': Women send powerful message in face of latest body-shaming trend
Texas border standoff: What to know about Eagle Pass amid state, federal dispute
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
GOP legislatures in some states seek ways to undermine voters’ ability to determine abortion rights
Trump's lawyer questioned one of E. Jean Carroll's books during his trial. Copies are now selling for thousands.
In a Steel Town Outside Pittsburgh, an Old Fight Over Air Quality Drags On