Molecule Commonly Found on Earth Discovered on a Distant Exoplanet WASP-33b
(Photo : ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser) Using this approach, an international team of astronomers headed by a researcher from Queen's University Belfast's Astrobiology Center used the Subaru telescope to look for chemical signatures in WASP-33b's atmosphere. They discovered hydroxyl, a one-oxygen, one-hydrogen atom molecule (abbreviated as OH). If it reacts with water vapor and carbon monoxide, hydroxyl is expected to play a significant role in the chemical composition of WASP-33b's atmosphere. Dr. Stevanus Nugroho, the lead researcher at Queen's University Belfast, said, "This is the first time ...
Source: natureworldnews.com