An object that looks like a planet light years from Earth has strange weather. There are layers of hot cloud and molten rain, says the University of Edinburgh. The 20-million-year-old planet does not orbit a star (sun). The University of Edinburgh’s School of Physics and Astronomy’s study leader Dr. Beth Biller and her colleagues think their discoveries may help scientists determine if conditions on distant planets are suitable for life. The astronomers, who published their findings in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, used a telescope in Chile to examine the weather systems in the distant planet – called PSO J318.5-22 – which is a juvenile in comparison to Earth. Before the object was discovered, dinosaurs inhabited our planet. An artist’s impression of the solitary planet-like object PSO J318.5-22. Image: University of Edinburgh. They took hundreds of images of the object rotating over five hours. It is covered in super-hot cloud. Scientists discovered it was covered by layers of thin and thick clouds. They claim that these clouds cause brightness to shift as the object rotates. PSO J318.5-22 is about the same size as out solar system’s largest planet – Jupiter – but is approximately eight times more massive. These clouds can reach temperatures exceeding 800degC. As it does not orbit a star – has no sun – Dr. Biller and team were able to accurately measure the changes in brightness on PSO J318.5-22. It is difficult to measure brightness levels of stars and objects that orbit them because they emit enormous amounts of light. Researchers believe that they can adapt their method to planets orbiting stars. These techniques can be used to study planets with lower mass and where there is less chance of life. PSO J318.5-22 is one of the lowest-mass free-floating objects ever discovered. Image: www.slate.com. Dr. Biller stated that this discovery “shows just how common clouds are in planets or planet-like objects.” This technique is being extended to large planets orbiting young stars. Eventually, we will be able to detect weather on Earth-like exoplanets. Citation: Variability in a Young, L/T Transition Planetary-Mass Object,” Beth A. Biller and Johanna Vos. The Astrophysical Journal Letters Volume 813, No 2. Published 2015 Oct 30. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10. 1088/2041-8205/813/2/L23.
