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Mapping storms beyond the solar system
Arizona Daily Star ^ | November 15, 2013 | Daniel Apai and Adam Showman

Posted on 11/23/2013 6:57:50 PM PST by SunkenCiv

In 1995 the simultaneous discovery of extrasolar planets – planets orbiting stars other than the sun and brown dwarfs bigger than giant planets but smaller than stars – revolutionized astronomy.

But no existing telescope is large enough to show details on exoplanets and brown dwarfs: we can only see them as faint points of light...

In October 2012 we turned both the Hubble Space Telescope, which orbits Earth at 18,000 miles per hour, and the Spitzer Space Telescope, which drifts in space 100 million miles away, to precisely the same target to try something new. Our target was a brown dwarf.

Since then we have looked at more than 40 brown dwarfs – balls of gas too small to ignite as stars – with the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes.

As the brown dwarfs we’re observing slowly spin, we deduce their cloud or surface structures from their brightness variations. For example, when a brown dwarf rotates and a brighter cloudless region turns toward the telescopes, the brown dwarf will seem to brighten. In contrast, when cloudy regions turn toward the telescopes, it will become dimmer.

The two telescopes can see light at different wavelengths, allowing us to probe different depths in the atmospheres. With this information we are exploring the atmospheres of brown dwarfs in three dimensions.

(Excerpt) Read more at azstarnet.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: xplanets
This illustration shows that when brown dwarf 2M2228 was observed simultaneously by NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes, scientists saw offset layers of material, indicating this brown dwarfs turbulent atmosphere has wind-driven, planet-size clouds. -- Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This illustration shows that when brown dwarf 2M2228 was observed simultaneously by NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes, scientists saw offset layers of material, indicating this brown dwarfs turbulent atmosphere has wind-driven, planet-size clouds. -- Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

1 posted on 11/23/2013 6:57:50 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Mmogamer; ...
 
X-Planets
· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·
Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

2 posted on 11/23/2013 6:58:37 PM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

Extra to APoD just for the one pic here.


3 posted on 11/23/2013 6:59:42 PM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: SunkenCiv

“Balls of gas too small to ignite as stars”

“Well a goodness gracious
Great balls of gas!”

It’ll never make the Top 40.


4 posted on 11/23/2013 7:04:37 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: SunkenCiv

Brown Dwarfs?

Need I say that this thread has the potential to become extremely politically incorrect! ;-)


5 posted on 11/23/2013 7:05:57 PM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: SunkenCiv

It’s always immensely satisfying to contemplate things that are infinitely bigger than big government.


6 posted on 11/23/2013 7:06:01 PM PST by grumpygresh (Democrats delenda est. New US economy: Fascism on top, Socialism on the bottom.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Very, very cool. Thanks.


7 posted on 11/23/2013 7:08:20 PM PST by SatinDoll (A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN: BORN IN THE USA OF USA CITIZEN PARENTS)
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To: left that other site; SunkenCiv
> Brown Dwarfs? Need I say that this thread has the potential to become extremely politically incorrect! ;-)

And don't mention the red giants.

We're in enough trouble already for the black holes.

8 posted on 11/23/2013 7:37:01 PM PST by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...sounding pretty good about now.)
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To: SunkenCiv

That’s funny because they can’t even map storms on this planet!


9 posted on 11/23/2013 7:38:20 PM PST by Morgana (Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
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To: left that other site
Got a problem with dwarfs, pal?
10 posted on 11/23/2013 7:52:11 PM PST by JPG (Yes We Can morphs into Make It Hurt.)
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To: JPG; camle; Alkhin; Professional Engineer; katana; Mr. Silverback; MadIvan; agrarianlady; ...
Not

Red Dwarf...

PING!

11 posted on 11/23/2013 8:15:47 PM PST by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: JPG

Dwarfs from the Alternate Evil Universe:

Sneaky
Snarky
Snarly
Sleazy
Slimey
Scuzzy

And the ever lovable:
Scabby.


12 posted on 11/23/2013 8:19:08 PM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: dayglored

Dem Black Hos be Rassiss!


13 posted on 11/23/2013 8:19:46 PM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: left that other site
Fascinating! I know them all.
14 posted on 11/23/2013 8:44:39 PM PST by JPG (Yes We Can morphs into Make It Hurt.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Thanks for the ping......


15 posted on 11/24/2013 4:29:47 AM PST by Las Vegas Dave (The democRATic party preys on the ignorant..!)
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To: JPG

heeheehee


16 posted on 11/24/2013 4:47:28 AM PST by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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