Emily Chan
They confirmed that the spectral features were caused by the planet’s atmosphere, not by contamination from the system’s star. They were able to distinguish between two types of atmospheres.
One was cloudy with few heavier elements, and the other had a high density with many heavier elements and plenty of water. Since GJ 9827 d is near its star, its atmosphere likely consists of a mix of gas and a hot, dense state instead of layers or clouds.
GJ 9827 d is not thought to be habitable, but its discovery is a significant step forward in searching for life beyond our solar system. More observations of GJ 9827 d are planned for the future, and the astronomers hope they will shed some light on its steam atmosphere.
The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
