NASA has identified an exoplanet with large amounts of water

Scientists have found water in the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet known as WASP-39b.

Although its initial discovery was way back in 2011, little research has been directed towards the Saturn-sized extrasolar planet up until recently. The team who took the first in-depth look at WASP-39b collected data from various telescopes. Namely, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Very Large Telescope. From here they were able to create a complete spectrum of the planet’s atmosphere.

Analyzing the starlight that filtered through the atmosphere revealed the signature spectrum of water vapor. Going into this, the team was already expecting to find traces of water on the exoplanet. What they weren’t prepared for was massive amounts of water – three times that of Saturn.

These findings were especially surprising given the planetary conditions of WASP-39b, which is about 700 light-years away from Earth. Its distance from its parent star is more than 20 times closer than Earth is to the Sun. When you compare it to Mercury (the planet closest to our sun), WASP-39b is eight times closer to its star. Another intriguing feature of this exoplanet is that it’s tidally locked. This means that one side is always facing the star and reaching scorching temperatures of 1,430 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds blow the heat onto the other side of the planet, making it hot on both ends.