James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Sand Clouds in Exoplanet Atmosphere

The 'fluffy' exoplanet WASP-107b hosts water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and silicate sand clouds, reshaping our understanding of planetary formation and evolution.

James Webb Space Telescope has detected water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and silicate sand clouds in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b.
The 'fluffy' nature of WASP-107b, similar in mass to Neptune but much larger in size, allows astronomers to look approximately 50 times deeper into its atmosphere compared to denser planets like Jupiter.
The presence of sulfur dioxide, known for the odor of burnt matches, was a major surprise as previous models had predicted its absence.
High-altitude clouds, consisting of small silicate particles or sand, partially obscure the water vapor and sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere.
The sand clouds are believed to form through a cycle similar to the water vapor and cloud cycle on Earth, but with droplets made of sand.