Supersonic 33,000 km/h Winds Found on Exoplanet WASP-127b

[{"selector":"#anim-703570f6-e81a-49a4-be78-b40df6bf6b1f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cb2db2f3-b828-4f79-9fe7-e85a1bda958e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.55696%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a2b89fd-155e-462c-bd30-ccd7aaddb161","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1701eb68-53ca-42ce-88b6-9a88f90d2342","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.3301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Supersonic 33,000 km/h Winds Found on Exoplanet WASP-127b Rahul Somvanshi

Scientists have found the fastest planetary winds ever recorded in the universe on planet WASP-127b, located 500 light-years from Earth.

[{"selector":"#anim-07253532-1744-490e-898b-dc4260c22106","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc4f2207-5747-4d7a-8c25-8f20e61a249e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e4391559-0390-4649-9ec7-924f3d3bd990","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d0f44627-4823-405e-89d7-62a28685c477","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84197a4b-c2d0-4911-9a32-5e4b7862b923","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: European Southern Observatory (Youtube)

Lisa Nortmann comments that part of the atmosphere of this planet is moving towards us at a high velocity while another part is moving away from us at the same speed.

[{"selector":"#anim-2e63e2fd-16c2-47a1-a35e-543b5eabc3e8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c29001b4-8cd5-4c19-a610-2754bf2265f8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 163.78070%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4194901-5841-4d53-b9bc-6d367f246888","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-593e42f9-bc27-4c84-9bf6-b375624044ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -111.1955%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a2bd81c-42ae-4a0c-8976-b310ce810328","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: European Southern Observator ( Youtube)

Earth's strongest recorded wind was 407 kmph during a tornado in Australia and Neptune, the windiest planet in our solar system, has winds reaching only 1,770 kmph.

[{"selector":"#anim-66d531a3-9691-465f-a1f9-64a8cf4c3bed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f0dd1a91-12b4-4611-b578-bccc54d3a8bf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.58885%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a3209578-f211-4c8e-88e6-ede17012b94c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-71460dde-9735-433d-b83b-854560972292","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.60759%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6d958da-15c8-45ee-9338-00f6146edda7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Zelph Csaba (Pexels)

WASP-127b is bigger than Jupiter but weighs much less - only 16% of Jupiter's mass and the planet takes 4.18 Earth days to orbit its star

[{"selector":"#anim-88fb4ff3-d5a2-4e2d-bccc-578b860eb564","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c8b3fdc8-3fb6-489d-9589-089829e404df","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 197.04866%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05d01849-10d6-49f1-a8c0-e486d8a937f5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0c582944-9c42-40d9-a424-e4ed8edf7a11","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8d2e7419-66be-4d0b-845b-dd0c46f3f32d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA Solar System Exploration (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Scientists used the CRIRES+ instrument, which breaks down starlight passing through the planet's atmosphere, on the Very Large Telescope in Chile to study these winds.

[{"selector":"#anim-a57e4d42-2d1c-4c56-b0d1-998edad81d21","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-300016ef-7c6c-40e1-b2b4-230d39fb5169","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3185d78f-d810-44d9-9431-69564105b75c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b56390b-fe8f-442c-b7d2-00aefd0e6e20","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ce140814-2fdd-4b77-b0df-0c5be556fe6d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: European Southern Observatory (CC BY 2.0)

David Cont from Ludwig Maximilian University adds that studying planets like WASP-127b helps scientists explore heat redistribution and chemical processes in atmospheres.

[{"selector":"#anim-f929a29b-ae5b-4c5e-9465-8cc4d6ebceac","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bc9ba6f2-6a47-48b6-8b43-16f6f62f9b98","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 140.12348%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62dc03e2-b76e-435f-8059-010624fb602b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-49b107e8-fa70-48e9-9595-34407438551b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a698a3eb-74b6-4344-ab45-04c7727432c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (Public Domain)

These findings, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, show how modern technology lets scientists study weather on distant worlds.

[{"selector":"#anim-b21bf6b0-77c2-4e8e-8baf-894e71bf37e3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c1cecc7b-401d-4271-9a84-89a8153f2845","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8c878fb-6e83-434d-bed8-fa151b5132d6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-680d2909-4123-448f-81bd-514809960aa6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6c71942f-bd55-490f-8a51-691b4b5aa002","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (CC BY 2.0)

The research combines precise measurements of supersonic winds, marking a significant step forward in our understanding of planetary weather systems beyond Earth.

[{"selector":"#anim-9d5c2b25-1a89-448e-933e-eedd1cf3356d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f96a4fb3-15d3-4c8a-8297-fd4db2c40c23","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 140.67903%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11f5cce2-2494-482a-b4d8-b827b44d6a65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9925f4d7-27ba-4518-b446-5b6b6ad11b15","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-df85a21e-365c-4cf0-9d8d-e91ef206577d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI) (CC BY 4.0)

[{"selector":"#anim-2fcbed98-0050-4a36-9f79-6ca8c83ad157","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-febc93c2-7bc2-4fcf-ae18-7d143526d2e4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c841d5e4-3b05-41e5-9c93-4c3e3b862513","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4bd55b5a-1f58-4d49-a903-0209b2a03fd5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f36c33a7-f6a5-4a11-94a3-6ec1dbe4f268","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.23810%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Webb Telescope Spots 44 Stars in 'Dragon Arc' Galaxy Learn more