NASA's James Webb Space Telescope uncovers quartz nanocrystals in the clouds of exoplanet WASP-17 b, marking the first detection of silica in an exoplanet's atmosphere.

Highlights:

• Quartz Surprise: Researchers, led by David Grant, unexpectedly find pure SiO2 (quartz) particles in WASP-17 b's clouds, challenging existing exoplanet cloud formation theories.
• Hot Jupiter Discovery: Observations of one of the largest exoplanets, WASP-17 b, reveal an unexpected "bump" in the data at 8.6 microns, indicating the presence of quartz nanocrystals.
• Unique Origins: Unlike Earth's geodes, these quartz crystals form directly in WASP-17 b's extreme atmosphere, providing crucial insights into the planet's composition and atmospheric dynamics.

It is notable that the James Webb space telescope has revealed one more surprising characteristic inside the ambiance of WASP-17b, one other exoplanet with 1300 gentle years from the Earth. This is the first time researchers have detected quartz nanocrystals (SiO2) within the planet’s cloud system.

The lead author of this study was David Grant from the University of Bristol, together with scientists from NASA’s Ames Research Center and Goddard Space Flight Center, who sought to examine the chemical makeup of WASP-17 b’s atmosphere. The quartz nanocrystal, however, was never anticipated by the team although they assumed that they would find aerosol particles in the prevailing atmosphere.
The galactic deposits of silicates, and earthly/lunar-type bodies are composed of silicon and oxygen-rich minerals called “common minerals” or “cannonball minerals.” Previous observations identified magnesium-rich silicates on exoplanets, however.
The result contradicts prevailing theories on the formation of clouds in extrasolar planets. One of the study’s co-authors, Hannah Wakeford, observed that these are not magnesium silicates but the “seeds” of the larger silica grains seen in cooler exoplanets and brown dwarfs.
More than 1,275 WASP-17 b brightness observations were obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope. The data was unique with a bump at 8.6 microns because quartz was present. Unlike Earth’s cloud minerals, which are the most common type of cloud minerals on Earth, these quartz nanocrystals form directly within WASP-17 b’s extremely hot atmosphere. While their quantity and spatial distribution in the exoplanet’s clouds is still unknown, the existence of these crystals provides data into the composition and the atmospheric processes of faraway bodies in space.