It has just come to the attention of experts that a planet nearby smells like rotten eggs.
The US researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found traces of hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b, a gas giant planet similar to Jupiter.
As an exoplanet, HD 189733 b is located outside of our solar system.
Scientists now have new information about how sulfur, a component of all planets, may affect the interiors and atmospheres of exoplanets thanks to the discovery of hydrogen sulfide on the exoplanet.
HD 189733 b is the closest “hot Jupiter” that astronomers can see passing in front of its star, at a mere 64 light-years from Earth.
In addition to having exceptionally high temperatures—roughly 927C—the planet is also well-known for its harsh weather, which includes glass that rains backward on winds of 5,000 mph.
Astrophysicist Guangwei Fu of Johns Hopkins University stated: “One important chemical we were unaware of is hydrogen sulfide.
Though we knew it was in Jupiter as we had expected, we hadn’t really found it outside of our solar system.
Finding hydrogen sulfide is a first step toward finding this molecule on other planets and furthering our understanding of how different types of planets form, but we’re not looking for life on this planet because it’s simply too hot.
