Astronomers Map First 3D Atmosphere of Distant Exoplanet WASP-121b

Researchers uncover extreme weather patterns, including supersonic winds and liquid iron rain, on the ultra-hot gas giant 900 light-years away.

Scientists used the Very Large Telescope in Chile to create the first 3D map of an exoplanet's atmosphere, revealing distinct layers on WASP-121b.
The planet, classified as an ultra-hot Jupiter, orbits its star extremely closely, completing one orbit in just 30 hours.
WASP-121b's atmosphere features winds reaching up to 72,000 km/h, with different elements like hydrogen, sodium, and iron moving in unique patterns across its layers.
The day side of the planet reaches temperatures of 2300°C, while the night side is significantly cooler, leading to dramatic weather phenomena such as liquid iron rain.
This breakthrough in atmospheric study could pave the way for examining the atmospheres of smaller, Earth-like planets using advanced telescopes like the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope.