Exoplanet Surprises Scientists

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Video imagery:

·        Animation of AU Microscopii system: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA)

·       Illustration of AU Microscopii with planet: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) 

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A grid of photographs of celestial bodies moves up. A white line moves down and another across. Text, News from the universe. The text is above an image of Jupiter. 

 

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Text, September 5, 2023. Exoplanet Surprises Scientists. Animation. 

 

The red dwarf star AU Microscopii (AU Mic ) -- hosts one of the youngest planetary systems ever observed. 

 

A disk of light with a star in the center moves forward and radiates out. 

 

Text, A red dwarf system is typically a harsh environment, with flares from the star stripping close-orbiting planets of their atmospheres. A dark planet with rings moves forward and becomes green. 

 

Text, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observed multiple orbits of AU Mic's closest planet as it passed in front of the star and detected surprising variability in atmospheric loss. 

 

A black dot in front of the star that fills the screen is labeled Exoplanet AU Mic b. 

 

Text, During one orbit, Hubble didn't see any signatures of atmosphere loss at all. 

 

The star is bright orange and yellow with a blue cloud in front. 

 

Text, A later observation found the planet's atmosphere boiling off ahead of it, rather than trailing behind -- a first. 

 

The star moves slowly away. 

 

Text, The puzzling findings have scientists rethinking the dynamic environments around red dwarfs, the most common type of star in our galaxy. 

 

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The star and planet continue to move away. A blue streak of cloud extends on the left of the planet and a spread extends to the right. 

 

Text, This news was brought to you in part by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD.