Water Vapor in Atmosphere of a Hot Jupiter

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Detection of Water Vapor in the Atmosphere of a Hot Jupiter

Caltech researchers develop a new technique to find water vapor on extrasolar planets

Although liquid water covers a majority of Earth's surface, scientists are still searching for planets outside of our solar system that contain water. Researchers at Caltech and several other institutions have used a new technique to analyze the gaseous atmospheres of such extrasolar planets and have made the first detection of water in the atmosphere of the Jupiter-mass planet orbiting the nearby star tau Boötis. With further development and more sensitive instruments, this technique could help researchers learn about how many planets with water—like Earth—exist within our galaxy.

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