A first for astronomy, methane is spotted on distant planet

afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hRgY45ekTYPIX5yDgeot91mw63gA

Astronomers have announced they have detected methane in the atmosphere of a planet 63 light years away, boosting prospects for identifying any life that exists beyond our Solar System..........etc

OK, so they fart a lot. Titan has plenty of methane and ethane. However, on its own, methane doesn't offer much in the way of "boosting prospects for life out there" unfortunately.

The possible addition of water on HD189733b makes things more interesting. However, as the article says,

"In this case, life on HD 189733b is almost certainly out of the question.
The planet, located in the constellation of Vulpecula, or the Little Fox, is one of a type of large planets called "hot Jupiters," whose surface is scorched and where liquid water could not exist."

Tough luck, again.

Seanie.

OK, so they fart a lot.

Priceless! :mrgreen:

Could be a planet full of cattle, though at 900C they'll be well done steak.

"In this case, life on HD 189733b is almost certainly out of the question.
The planet, located in the constellation of Vulpecula, or the Little Fox, is one of a type of large planets called "hot Jupiters," whose surface is scorched and where liquid water could not exist."



Seanie.

Hot stuff, interesting read, Hubble still doing a fine job considering it was never made to take measurements like this

It is a suffocatingly hot ball about the mass of Jupiter orbiting only about 3 million miles from a star slightly smaller than the Sun. The temperature is a toasty 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit.

www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/science/space...0d0b2&ei=5087%0A

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Methane?

I'm guessing this planet is inhabited by billions of cows.