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A planet 320 light-years away confirms what scientists long suspected - Science Daily

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A scorching hot planet nearly 320 light-years from Earth has provided the first direct evidence for a fundamental assumption about how planets form. Astronomers discovered that WASP-189b shares an important chemical characteristic with its host star, supporting a long-standing idea that also helps scientists investigate potentially habitable worlds. The breakthrough came from the first simultaneous measurement of gaseous magnesium and silicon in an exoplanet's atmosphere, using the Gemini South telescope, part of the International Gemini Observatory, which is partially funded by the U. S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab.

Located nearly 320 light-years away in the Libra constellation, WASP-189b belongs to an extreme category of planets called ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJ). These enormous worlds reach temperatures so intense that even materials normally found in solid rock can turn into gas. Elements such as magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), and iron (Fe) can therefore be detected in their atmospheres. Astronomers identify these substances through spectroscopy, a method that separates light into different wavelengths to reveal the chemicals present.

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