Scientists using JWST confirm dynamic water clouds on WISE 0855
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope just found changing water clouds on WISE 0855, a chilly brown dwarf about 7.5 light-years away.
It's the first time scientists have confirmed dynamic water clouds outside our solar system. Pretty wild!
The discovery, led by Brittany Miles, assistant astronomer at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, gives us a peek at weather patterns that aren't too different from what we see on Earth and Jupiter.
Carbon monoxide, phosphine on WISE 0855
WISE 0855 is about twice as heavy as Jupiter but doesn't shine like a star. Its temperature sits around minus 8 degrees Celsius.
Using JWST, researchers spotted shifting cloud layers and gasses like carbon monoxide and phosphine moving upward, just like in Jupiter's atmosphere.
Next up, the team wants to figure out how these clouds move as WISE 0855 rotates. Researchers plan further Webb observations to better understand WISE 0855's rotation and the three-dimensional movement of its atmosphere.