Water Found in Extrasolar Planet's Atmosphere (planet HD209458b)

Space.com on Yahoo ^ | 4/10/07 | Ker Than

[Buck W.]

Must have been raining that day.

[NormsRevenge]

This is an artist's impression of the gas-giant planet orbiting the yellow, Sun-like star HD 209458, 150 light-years from Earth.
Astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to look at this world and make the first direct detection of an atmosphere around an extrasolar planet.

[bamahead]

Space ping

[ClearCase_guy]

That’s a Greenhouse Gas! Damn that Bush!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Given that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and oxygen is not that far behind, how is the fact that H₂O is found just about everywhere a surprise?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Would it be water vapor, or steam—since the planet is so close to its sun?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

This is in non-solid form (i.e. water ice). If it is water vapor, which the article states, that is impressive, as water vapor is liquid water. However, as in the question in an earlier post, if it is so hot, would it be steam (water gas) rather than water vapor?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

However, as in the question in an earlier post, if it is so hot, would it be steam (water gas) rather than water vapor?

It would be steam only if there were geysers or boiling lakes spewing steam into the atmosphere. Even the, it would not take that steam very long to either dilute into vapor or condense into clouds or rain.

[azhenfud]

“Mars is essentially in the same orbit... Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, & water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen, if there is oxygen, that means we can breathe.” —Vice President Al Gore, 8/11/94

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Whether it is steam or not depends on the atmospheric pressure (and gravity?) and temperature. The water doesn’t need to come from geysers or lakes to form steam.

[colonialhk]

Algore and Hilarity need to lead the expedition soon!

[jonno]

...means one of the most crucial elements for life as we know it can exist...

Life - so simple! All you have to do is add water and life given (enough) time will spring forth.

Never mind of course that intelligent beings have been trying to produce life in controlled settings for decades now - without success...

[NormsRevenge]

If Al was any denser, he’d implode.

[hophead]

“how is the fact that H2O is found just about everywhere a surprise?”

Because it USED to be ice and due to “global warming” it is now in its liquid state?

[Red Badger]

At those temps, it would be plasma!..........

[azhenfud]

He certainly has a dense core...;-)

[Centurion2000]

It would be steam only if there were geysers or boiling lakes spewing steam into the atmosphere. Even the, it would not take that steam very long to either dilute into vapor or condense into clouds or rain.

Sorry, not really true. It would be steam if the temp is above 100 Celcius at one atmosphere of pressure.

With a 3.5 day period for transiting the sun, I'd say this gas giant (since IIRC we have yet to detect any terrestrial sized planets at this range) is most definitely in the hot zone.

[Atlas Sneezed]

would it be steam (water gas) rather than water vapor?

---

As I understand (recalling from thermodymanics class ~25 years ago) what people think of as “steam” (i.e. that cloud coming out of the teapot) is a mix of water vapor and liquid water droplets. Same as clouds or fog, which are condensed water droplets.

Water in gaseous form IS water vapor.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Neverdem: you’ll want to see this one.