The hydroxyl in the planet’s atmosphere is believed to be the product of water vapour being destroyed by high temperatures.
The apparent presence of the hydroxyl radical (OH) has been discovered on a distant exoplanet by an international collaboration of astronomers, SciTechDaily reports.
The chemical signature in question was detected on the day side of WASP-33b, a gas-giant planet that orbits its host star at a distance much shorter than that between Mercury and the Sun.
As the media outlet notes, this is the first time that such a molecule has been found outside of our solar system.
The majority of OH in the exoplanet’s atmosphere is suspected to be the product of water vapour being destroyed by extremely high temperatures.
The discovery was made via the use of the InfraRed Doppler (IRD) instrument at the Subaru Telescope located at the summit of Maunakea, Hawaii.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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