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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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First Map of Alien World
Title
First Map of Alien World
Title
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Description:
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This is the first-ever map of the surface of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. The map, which shows temperature variations across the cloudy tops of a gas giant called HD 189733b, is made up of infrared data taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Hotter temperatures are represented in brighter colors.
HD 189733b is what is known as a hot-Jupiter planet. These sizzling, gas planets practically hug their stars, orbiting at distances that are much closer than Mercury is to our sun. They whip around their stars quickly; for example, HD 189733b completes one orbit in just 2.2 days. Hot Jupiters are also thought to be tidally locked to their stars, just as our moon is to Earth. This means that one side of a hot Jupiter always faces its star.
As predicted, the map reveals that HD 189733b has a warm spot on its "sunlit" side, which is always pointed toward the star. But the map also shows that this spot is offset from the high-noon, or sun-facing, point by 30 degrees. According to scientists, ferocious winds traveling up to 6,000 miles per hour (nearly 9,700 kilometers per hour) are probably pushing the hot spot to the east.
In addition to the warm spot, the map tells astronomers that temperatures on HD 189733b are fairly even all around. While the dark side is about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (650 degrees Celsius), the sunlit side is just a bit hotter at 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius). This mild temperature variation is more evidence for strong winds, since winds would help spread the heat from the hot, sunlit side over to the dark side.
These data were collected by Spitzer's infrared array camera as the planet, a so-called transiting planet, passed in front of its star, then swung around and disappeared behind it (see animation). By observing the planet for half of its 2.2-day long orbit, Spitzer was able to measure the infrared light, or heat, coming from its entire surface. The infrared measurements, about a quarter of a million individual data points, were then assembled by scientists into pole-to-pole strips, and ultimately into the complete map shown here.
Description
This is the first-ever map of the surface of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. The map, which shows temperature variations across the cloudy tops of a gas giant called HD 189733b, is made up of infrared data taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Hotter temperatures are represented in brighter colors.
HD 189733b is what is known as a hot-Jupiter planet. These sizzling, gas planets practically hug their stars, orbiting at distances that are much closer than Mercury is to our sun. They whip around their stars quickly; for example, HD 189733b completes one orbit in just 2.2 days. Hot Jupiters are also thought to be tidally locked to their stars, just as our moon is to Earth. This means that one side of a hot Jupiter always faces its star.
As predicted, the map reveals that HD 189733b has a warm spot on its "sunlit" side, which is always pointed toward the star. But the map also shows that this spot is offset from the high-noon, or sun-facing, point by 30 degrees. According to scientists, ferocious winds traveling up to 6,000 miles per hour (nearly 9,700 kilometers per hour) are probably pushing the hot spot to the east.
In addition to the warm spot, the map tells astronomers that temperatures on HD 189733b are fairly even all around. While the dark side is about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (650 degrees Celsius), the sunlit side is just a bit hotter at 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius). This mild temperature variation is more evidence for strong winds, since winds would help spread the heat from the hot, sunlit side over to the dark side.
These data were collected by Spitzer's infrared array camera as the planet, a so-called transiting planet, passed in front of its star, then swung around and disappeared behind it (see animation). By observing the planet for half of its 2.2-day long orbit, Spitzer was able to measure the infrared light, or heat, coming from its entire surface. The infrared measurements, about a quarter of a million individual data points, were then assembled by scientists into pole-to-pole strips, and ultimately into the complete map shown here.
Description
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Release Date:
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2007/05/09
Release_Date
2007/05/09
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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HD 189733b
Object_name
HD 189733b
Object name
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Object type:
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exoplanet
Object_type
exoplanet
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *20h00m43.00s *Dec: *22d42m39.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *20h00m43.00s *Dec: *22d42m39.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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63 light-years
Distance
63 light-years
Distance
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Constellation:
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Vulpecula
Constellation
Vulpecula
Constellation
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Wavelength:
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8.0 microns
Wavelength
8.0 microns
Wavelength
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Observers:
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H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
David Charbonneau (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Lori E. Allen (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Jonathan J. Fortney (NASA Ames Research Center)
Eric Agol (University of Washington, Seattle)
Nicolas B. Cowan (University of Washington, Seattle)
Adam P. Showman (University of Arizona)
Curtis S. Cooper (University of Arizona)
S. Thomas Megeath (University of Toledo)
Observers
H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
David Charbonneau (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Lori E. Allen (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Jonathan J. Fortney (NASA Ames Research Center)
Eric Agol (University of Washington, Seattle)
Nicolas B. Cowan (University of Washington, Seattle)
Adam P. Showman (University of Arizona)
Curtis S. Cooper (University of Arizona)
S. Thomas Megeath (University of Toledo)
Observers
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Instrument:
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IRAC
Instrument
IRAC
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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Oct 28 and 29, 2006
Exposure_Date
Oct 28 and 29, 2006
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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33 hours
Exposure_Time
33 hours
Exposure Time
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note:
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*Image without overlays* Screen-Resolution (450x225): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2007-09a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (2400x1200): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
note
*Image without overlays* Screen-Resolution (450x225): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2007-09a1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (2400x1200): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/H. Knutson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA) note
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Jupiter
facet_what
Jupiter
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Moon
facet_what
Moon
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mercury
facet_what
Mercury
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Vulpecula
facet_what
Vulpecula
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Jupiter
facet_where
Jupiter
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Mercury
facet_where
Mercury
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington
facet_where
Washington
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
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Image #:
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ssc2007-09a
Image_#
ssc2007-09a
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2007-09 a
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2007-09 a
UID
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