Astronomers have made a significant discovery regarding the formation and atmospheric composition of exoplanets. A team led by Kielan Hoch studied two young exoplanets within the YSES-1 system.
The research revealed that one exoplanet possesses silicate clouds in its atmosphere, while the other has a circumplanetary disk. This disk is believed to supply material for moon formation.
These findings offer valuable insights into the early stages of planetary development. The study focused on measuring the spectra of these giant exoplanets, which are several times larger than Jupiter.
The presence of silicate clouds, composed of sand-like particles, was detected in the mid-infrared spectrum of YSES 1-c. This is the strongest silicate absorption feature observed in an exoplanet to date.
These observations provide clues about the chemical composition of the clouds and the size of the particles. They also help scientists understand how our own planets have evolved over time.