The exoplanet, known as Bocaparins, was found by NASA’s James Webb Telescope in August of this year. It is a planet outside of our solar system that is 700 light years from Earth. The exoplanet is almost as big as Saturn and much bigger than Earth. But this exoplanet is special because it is 8 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun, making it a very near relative. Around 871 degrees Celsius of heat are produced by the star at the atmosphere’s surface.
Because of this, scientists have started to refer to it as the “Hot Saturn,” and the heat makes the gases that escape into its skies exist only as solitary molecules or in molecular form. In other words, its atmosphere is filled with a variety of gases, including mercury, sulphur, and many more. This has produced an incredibly precise chemical image that gives researchers the opportunity to examine each one separately, including any photochemistry brought on by the host star’s closeness.
According to researchers, this is the first time they have observed photochemistry in action. The ozone layer on Earth is produced in a similar way. Our ozone layer is a product of heat and sunshine working together. This, in their opinion, marks the start of a deeper knowledge of the atmospheres of exoplanets.