Iron and Titanium Detected Escaping Exoplanet WASP-121b

Astronomers have detected iron and titanium escaping the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-121b, a hot gas giant orbiting a star about 900 light-years away in the constellation Puppis. The discovery, detailed in "Astronomy and Astrophysics," marks the first time heavy metals have been observed leaving an exoplanet's atmosphere. Observations from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) revealed these elements in the upper atmosphere, driven by extreme heat and a strong jet stream carrying material from the planet's hotter to cooler side. This phenomenon results in the planet losing mass as its atmosphere escapes into space. The climate on this planet is unlike anything in our solar system.