How Clouds Obscure Exoplanet Atmospheres: A Challenge for JWST and Astronomers
By
SETI Institute
Summary
SETI Institute research scientist Dr. Lauren Sgro and Arizona State University postdoctoral fellow Dr. Sagnick Mukherjee discuss how clouds in exoplanet atmospheres obscure the chemical signals that telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are trying to detect. Dr. Mukherjee's recent study uses transmission spectroscopy to observe cloud cycles on distant worlds, addressing a key challenge in exoplanet atmospheric research.
Source
bskyHow Clouds Obscure Exoplanet Atmospheres: A Challenge for JWST and Astronomersseti.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledDuring a recent SETI Live conversation, SETI Institute research scientist Dr. Lauren Sgro sat down with Arizona State University postdoctoral fellow Dr. Sagnick Mukherjee to discuss a problem that has frustrated exoplanet astronomers for years: clouds.
While telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can detect the chemical fingerprints of distant atmospheres, clouds often hide the very signals researchers are trying to measure.
Dr. Mukherjee explained that in a recent study, his team used a technique called transmission spectroscopy to observe cloud cycles.
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