An international team of astronomers has made the first-ever detection of helium in the atmosphere of an extrasolar world. The new technique used to make the discovery could pave the way for scientists hoping to reveal the atmospheres of distant Earth-sized exoplanets.

The planet at the heart of the new research is located roughly 200 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Virgo. Whilst the imaginatively-named WASP-107b is roughly comparable in size to Jupiter, it boasts only 12 percent of the gas giant's mass.

WASP-107b also has one of the chilliest atmospheres ever discovered shrouding a distant exoplanet, though, to put this in context, it's still about 500 °C (932 °F) hotter than the protective envelope of gas shrouding our own blue marble.

It is in the gaseous envelope of this unusual exoplanet that astronomers have made the first discovery of helium existing in the atmosphere of a world outside of our solar system.

Helium, for context, is pretty great. Alongside filling party balloons, it just so happens to be the second most abundant element in the known universe. In our solar system, the element is created in vast quantities as a result of the nuclear fusion process occurring at the heart of the Sun, and is present in massive quantities in the planets that inhabit our neck of the cosmic woods.

Astronomers have long predicted that the atmospheres of distant worlds like WASP-107b would also play host to significant quantities of helium, however, the element had not been detected in the gaseous shells surrounding these far-off worlds until now.

The team behind the discovery used the observational prowess of the venerable Hubble Space Telescope to probe WASP-107b, measuring the spectrum of light that had passed through the upper reaches of the exoplanet's atmosphere.

WASP-107b was observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, pictured above by the crew of the shuttle Atlantis during its final servicing mission NASA

The researchers employed a new technique to analyse the data, which measured the infrared properties of the atmospheric light to detect helium that existed in an excited state. The method pioneered by the researchers does not rely on collecting ultraviolet light data, which is the conventional medium of probing exoplanet atmospheres.

An analysis of the Hubble data revealed a strong helium signature, which led the astronomers to conclude that WASP-107b's was surrounded by a tenuous atmospheric cloud that reached tens of thousands of kilometers into space.

The team believe that their infrared-based technique could be used to detect similar hydrogen-rich atmospheres that exist around smaller Earth-sized exoplanets located very far from Earth.

"We hope to use this technique with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), for example, to learn what kind of planets have large envelopes of hydrogen and helium, and how long planets can hold on to their atmospheres," comments Jessica Spake, of Exeter University's Physics and Astronomy. "By measuring infrared light, we can see further out into space than if we were using ultraviolet light."

The launch of the JWST was recently delayed once again, and is now expected no earlier than May 2020. Once finally operational, the JWST will boast numerous benefits over existing orbital telescopes, including a higher spectral resolution, greater sensitivity, and longer uninterrupted observation times.

The capabilities of next generation telescopes such as the JWST, and planet hunting satellites such as the recently launched Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, herald the beginning of an exciting new age for the discovery and characterization of distant worlds.

A paper detailing the new discovery is set to be published in the journal Nature on May 3.

Source: Exeter University</s>An international team of researchers, led by Jessica Spake from the University of Exeter, discovered evidence of the inert gas on 'super-Neptune' exoplanet WASP-107b, found 200 light years from Earth and in the constellation of Virgo.

The pivotal breakthrough, made from observations of the exoplanet using the Hubble Space Telescope, revealed an abundance of helium in the upper atmosphere of the exoplanet, which was only discovered in 2017.

The strength of the helium signal detected was so large that scientists believe the planet's upper atmosphere extends tens of thousands of kilometres into space.

Helium is the second most common element in the universe and it has long-since been predicted to be one of the most readily-detectable gases on giant exoplanets. However, this pioneering new research is the first time that the gas has been successfully found.

Now, the research team believe that the ground-breaking study could pave the way for scientists to discover more atmospheres around Earth-sized exoplanets across the galaxy.

The research is published in the leading scientific journal, Nature, on May 3, 2018.

Jessica Spake, part of Exeter's Physics and Astronomy department said: "We hope to use this technique with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, for example, to learn what kind of planets have large envelopes of hydrogen and helium, and how long planets can hold on to their atmospheres. By measuring infrared light, we can see further out into space than if we were using ultraviolet light."

WASP-107b is a very low-density planet similar in size to Jupiter, but with only 12 per cent of its mass. Orbiting its host star every six days, it has one of the coolest atmospheres of any of the exoplanets discovered, although at 500 C is still radically hotter that Earth.

By analysing the spectrum of light passing through the upper part of the exoplanet's atmosphere, the researchers were able to detect the presence of helium in an excited state.

The significant strength of the signal measured exploited a new technique that doesn't rely on ultraviolet measurements which have historically been used to study upper exoplanet atmospheres. The team believe this new technique, which uses infrared light, could open up new paths to exploring the atmospheres of more Earth-sized exoplanets found in the further reaches of the universe.

Tom Evans, a co-author also from the University of Exeter added: "The helium we detected extends far out to space as a tenuous cloud surrounding the planet. If smaller, Earth-sized planets have similar helium clouds, this new technique offers an exciting means to study their upper atmospheres in the very near future.."

Helium was first detected as an unknown yellow spectral line signature in sunlight in 1868. Devon-based astronomer Norman Lockyer was the first to propose this line was due to a new element, and named it after the Greek Titan of the Sun, Helios.

It has since been discovered to be one of the main constituents of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in our Solar System.

Explore further: Hubble observes exoplanet atmosphere in more detail than ever before

More information: Helium in the eroding atmosphere of an exoplanet, Nature (2018). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0067-5</s>(CN) – Helium has been detected in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system for the first time, a team of astronomers reported Tuesday.

Helium – the second most common element in the universe – has been predicted to be one of most easily detected gases on large exoplanets, which orbit a star other than the sun. It is also one of the main components of the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn.

But despite helium’s prevalence in the universe, detection of it on large exoplanets has eluded astronomers until now.

Detailed in a study published in the journal Nature, the groundbreaking discovery reveals a massive volume of helium in the upper atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b. Discovered in 2017, WASP-107b is 200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo.

The astronomers say their findings could pave the way for scientists to detect more atmospheres around the Milky Way’s Earth-sized exoplanets.

“We hope to use this technique with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, for example, to learn what kind of planets have large envelopes of hydrogen and helium, and how long planets can hold on to their atmospheres,” said lead author Jessica Spake, a doctoral student at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

“By measuring infrared light, we can see further out into space than if we were using ultraviolet light.”

Orbiting its host star every six days, WASP-107b has one of the chilliest atmospheres of any known exoplanet. At 932 degrees Fahrenheit, however, it is significantly hotter than Earth.

And while similar in size to Jupiter, the very low-density exoplanet is just 12 percent of its mass.

By analyzing the spectrum of light passing through the upper portion of WASP-107b’s atmosphere, the team was able to detect helium in an excited state.

The considerable strength of the signal measured capitalized on a new technique that does not rely on ultraviolet measurements, which have traditionally been used to analyze upper atmospheres of exoplanets. The astronomers believe this new approach, which uses infrared light, could establish new paths to exploring the atmospheres of Earth-sized exoplanets across the universe.

“The helium we detected extends far out to space as a tenuous cloud surrounding the planet,” said co-author Tom Evans, a research fellow at the University of Exeter. “If smaller, Earth-sized planets have similar helium clouds, this new technique offers an exciting means to study their upper atmospheres in the very near future.”

The first evidence of helium occurred as an unknown yellow spectral line signature in 1868. British astronomer Norman Lockyer was the first to suggest the line was due to a new element and subsequently named it after Helios, the personification of the sun in Greek mythology.

The research was funded by NASA, Tennessee State University, the state of Tennessee’s Centers of Excellence program, and the David and Lucile Packard Fellowship for Science.</s>Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have detected helium in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b. This is the first time this element has been detected in the atmosphere of a planet outside the Solar System. The discovery demonstrates the ability to use infrared spectra to study exoplanet extended atmospheres.

The international team of astronomers, led by Jessica Spake, a PhD student at the University of Exeter in the UK, used Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 to discover helium in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b This is the first detection of its kind.

Spake explains the importance of the discovery: “Helium is the second-most common element in the Universe after hydrogen. It is also one of the main constituents of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in our Solar System. However, up until now helium had not been detected on exoplanets – despite searches for it.”

The team made the detection by analysing the infrared spectrum of the atmosphere of WASP-107b [1]. Previous detections of extended exoplanet atmospheres have been made by studying the spectrum at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths; this detection therefore demonstrates that exoplanet atmospheres can also be studied at longer wavelengths.

“The strong signal from helium we measured demonstrates a new technique to study upper layers of exoplanet atmospheres in a wider range of planets,” says Spake “Current methods, which use ultraviolet light, are limited to the closest exoplanets. We know there is helium in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and this new technique may help us to detect atmospheres around Earth-sized exoplanets – which is very difficult with current technology.”

WASP-107b is one of the lowest density planets known: While the planet is about the same size as Jupiter, it has only 12% of Jupiter’s mass. The exoplanet is about 200 light-years from Earth and takes less than six days to orbit its host star.

The amount of helium detected in the atmosphere of WASP-107b is so large that its upper atmosphere must extend tens of thousands of kilometres out into space. This also makes it the first time that an extended atmosphere has been discovered at infrared wavelengths.

Since its atmosphere is so extended, the planet is losing a significant amount of its atmospheric gases into space — between ~0.1-4% of its atmosphere’s total mass every billion years [2].

As far back as the year 2000, it was predicted that helium would be one of the most readily-detectable gases on giant exoplanets, but until now, searches were unsuccessful.

David Sing, co-author of the study also from the University of Exeter, concludes: “Our new method, along with future telescopes such as the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, will allow us to analyse atmospheres of exoplanets in far greater detail than ever before.”

[1] The measurement of an exoplanet’s atmosphere is performed when the planet passes in front of its host star. A tiny portion of the star’s light passes through the exoplanet’s atmosphere, leaving detectable fingerprints in the spectrum of the star. The larger the amount of an element present in the atmosphere, the easier the detection becomes.

[2] Stellar radiation has a significant effect on the rate at which a planet’s atmosphere escapes. The star WASP-107 is highly active, supporting the atmospheric loss. As the atmosphere absorbs radiation it heats up, so the gas rapidly expands and escapes more quickly into space.</s>Scientists have discovered helium in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time.

Helium is one of the most common elements in the universe, but has so far not been seen in an exoplanet's atmosphere.

The strength of the signal detected was so large that scientists believe the planet's upper atmosphere could extend tens of thousands of miles into space.

The discovery is another step forward in space exploration as scientists continue to search for more exoplanets and any alien life that may be out there.

An international team of astronomers, led by a PhD student from the University of Exeter, discovered evidence of the inert gas on exoplanet WASP-107b

This 'super-Neptune' planet is found 200 light years from Earth in the constellation of Virgo.

The breakthrough used the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and revealed an abundance of helium in the upper atmosphere.

Helium is the second most common element in the universe and it has long-since been predicted to be one of the most readily-detectable gases on giant exoplanets.

It is a major component of the gas giants in our solar system.

Scientists expect to find helium in gas giants elsewhere, but searches thus far have been unsuccessful.

Pioneering new research, published in the journal Nature, is the first time that the gas has been successfully found on a planet outside our solar system.

The exoplanet was only discovered in 2017, orbits its host star every six days and has a surface temperature of 500°C (930°F).

Now, the research team believe that the ground-breaking study could pave the way for scientists to discover more atmospheres around Earth-sized exoplanets across the galaxy.

The researchers utilised a new method which uses infra red, not the traditional ultraviolet, to make the discovery.

Jessica Spake, an astronomy PhD student at Exeter University, said: 'We hope to use this technique with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, for example, to learn what kind of planets have large envelopes of hydrogen and helium, and how long planets can hold on to their atmospheres.

'By measuring infrared light, we can see further out into space than if we were using ultraviolet light.'

WASP-107b has a very low-density, it is similar in size to Jupiter, but with only 12 per cent of its mass.

Helium was discovered by analysing the spectrum of light that made it through the atmosphere of the planet.

In this method, researchers can tell what elements and compounds are present by certain wavelengths that are not detected.

This method, called absorption spectroscopy, is used to find the gases and chemicals that are in the atmosphere's of a planet.

Every gas absorbs a slightly different wavelength of light, and when this happens a black line appears on a complete spectrum.

These lines correspond to a very specific molecule, which indicates it is present in the atmosphere of a planet.

Using this method, the researchers were able to detect the presence of helium in an excited state - charged with high levels of energy due to the high surface temperature of the planet.

Study co-author Dr Tom Evans, of the University of Exeter, added: 'The helium we detected extends far out to space as a tenuous cloud surrounding the planet.

'If smaller, Earth-sized planets have similar helium clouds, this new technique offers an exciting means to study their upper atmospheres in the very near future.'</s>The new discovery marks the first time that the element was observed in the atmosphere of a planet outside of our solar system.

A team of astronomers made an important discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope, detecting helium in the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-107b. This marks the first time researchers have found signs of the element in a planet beyond our solar system, and could also mean that scientists can study the composition of the air in exoplanets without having to wait for another space telescope to be launched for such a purpose.

According to a news release published by the European Space Agency, the multinational team made the discovery with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, using the instrument to detect helium in WASP-107b’s atmosphere. The researchers consider this finding important, as helium ranks behind hydrogen as the universe’s second-most common element, and had never been confirmed to exist on exoplanets.

WASP-107b is located about 200 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo, and is described as a “super-Neptune” exoplanet, one that has a similar diameter to Jupiter, but only one-eighth of the planet’s mass. Space.com observed that this makes it one of the lowest-density planets known to astronomers. The exoplanet also takes only 5.7 days to orbit its host star, and its atmosphere is definitely not conducive to life as we know it, with temperatures of 932 degrees Fahrenheit, or 500 degrees Celsius.

In an email to Space.com, University of Exeter researcher and study lead author Jessica Spake explained that her team used new methodologies to study the radiation-heavy upper reaches of an exoplanet’s atmosphere. The team’s findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to study many more upper planetary atmospheres this way,” Spake added.

Both Space.com and the ESA press release explained the methodologies Spake and her colleagues utilized, which included studying the infrared spectrum of WASP-107b’s atmosphere. Prior to the new study, analyses of exoplanet atmospheres involved ultraviolet light, which is mostly blocked out by Earth’s atmosphere. That’s not the case with infrared radiation, which can be detected by ground-based telescopes, as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere, including its air and clouds. Furthermore, Spake noted that ultraviolet analysis only works with nearby exoplanets, but not more distant ones like WASP-107b.

Aside from the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers might have another valuable resource available in the next few years for analyzing the atmosphere of exoplanets like WASP-107b. According to Spake, there’s a good chance that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which is now expected to launch in May 2020, will be able to make these detections. Additionally, there are several ground-based telescopes, including Hawaii’s Keck Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescopes, that might be capable of consistent observations of exoplanet atmospheres.</s>For the first time in the history of cosmic observations, scientists have detected signs of helium, one of the main constituents of Neptune and Saturn, on a planet sitting several hundred light years away from our stellar neighborhood.

The inert gas, according to the theoretical models, is the second most common element in the universe after hydrogen. However, despite searching it for years, scientists weren’t able to detect its presence anywhere beyond our solar system.

But now the wait is finally over, thanks to NASA and ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Just recently, an international team of astronomers, led by Jessica Spake from the University Of Exeter, United Kingdom, used the space telescope to analyze the starlight passing through the upper atmosphere of an exoplanet dubbed WASP-107b and discovered helium in abundance.

The signal of the gas, according to a release from the University, was so massive that the scientists now believe the upper atmosphere of WASP-107b could be going up to thousands of kilometers into space. As a result of this, several gases present in the atmosphere might be spewing out in space. This would mean that the distant world is losing some 0.1 to 4 percent of its atmospheric mass every billion years.

Discovered just last year, WASP-107b fits into the category of "super-Neptunes" or planets that are five to seven times as large as Earth and is located some 200-light-years away from us in the constellation Virgo. Though this exoplanet is just as big as Jupiter in terms of size, it’s density is just 12 percent of that on Jupiter.

“The strong signal from helium we measured demonstrates a new technique to study upper layers of exoplanet atmospheres in a wider range of planets,” Spake said in a statement.

The researchers' idea is to measure the light in infrared wavelengths as it changes while passing through the planet’s atmosphere. This not only proves effective in characterizing the atmospheric composition but is also better than the current method of measuring optical and ultraviolet wavelength, which only works for planets located in close proximity.

“We know there is helium in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and this new technique may help us to detect atmospheres around Earth-sized exoplanets — which is very difficult with current technology,” Spake added.

The revolutionary technique may also help scientists determine how long an exoplanet may hold on to its atmosphere. In addition, it may get even more effective with the launch of James Webb Space Telescope in 2020.

“Our new method, along with future telescopes such as the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, will allow us to analyze atmospheres of exoplanets in far greater detail than ever before,” study co-author David Sing said in the statement.

The study, titled "Helium in the eroding atmosphere of an exoplanet," was published May 2 in the journal Nature.</s>In addition to filling balloons at birthday parties, helium can be found scattered throughout the cosmos. To date, however, scientists have struggled to detect the ubiquitous element on distant worlds, even though the gas is certain to be there. But that’s now changed, thanks to the discovery of helium on a Jupiter-sized world located 200 light-years from Earth—but that’s only part of the story.



“Helium is the second-most common element in the universe after hydrogen. It is also one of the main constituents of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in our Solar System,” Jessica Spake, the astronomer who made the discovery, said in a statement. “However, up until now helium had not been detected on exoplanets—despite searches for it.”

But now, using Wide Field Camera 3 on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, Spake’s team managed to detect this strangely elusive substance, marking the first time that helium has been detected on a planet outside of our Solar System. The key to the finding was the use of infrared spectra to study the exoplanet’s atmosphere, whereas previous attempts used ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. This study now shows that the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres can indeed be studied at longer wavelengths. The details of this discovery were published yesterday in Nature.

The planet is called WASP-107b, and it’s in orbit around a small, orange star. It’s roughly the same size as Jupiter, but it’s exceptionally light, featuring a mere 12 percent of Jupiter’s mass. So in addition to hosting detectable amounts of helium, it’s now the least dense planet known to astronomers.

What’s more, WASP-107b—a so-called Hot Jupiter—takes just six days to make a complete orbit around its host star. This exoplanet is barely able to hold on to its atmosphere, which extends out into space for thousands of miles, giving the planet a distinctly comet-like tail. Spake, a PhD student at the University of Exeter in the UK, estimates that WASP-107b’s atmosphere is bleeding out into space at a rate between 0.4 and 4 percent of its atmosphere’s total mass every billion years. The extended atmosphere is caused by the planet’s extremely low gravity and the intense ultraviolet radiation pouring out from its host star.

To detect the WASP-107b’s helium, the researchers used the tried-and-true transit method, in which a planet can be studied as it passes in front of its host star. Spake’s team used Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 to measure the amount of near-infrared stellar light being transmitted through its decaying atmosphere. The researchers detected a specific wavelength associated with helium. They’re confident what they saw was really helium, they say, as the amount measured was five times stronger than any false signal could possibly produce.

“The strong signal from helium we measured demonstrates a new technique to study upper layers of exoplanet atmospheres in a wider range of planets,” said Spake. “Current methods, which use ultraviolet light, are limited to the closest exoplanets. We know there is helium in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and this new technique may help us to detect atmospheres around Earth-sized exoplanets—which is very difficult with current technology.”</s>A new method to study the atmosphere and weather on distant planets has made way for the discovery of a strange alien world that is like a comet with helium in its atmosphere in the neighborhood of the Virgo constellation about 200 light years from Earth.

Till now, notes a report by Space.com, the hunt for exoplanets has only involved looking for hydrogen in their atmospheres which is not only the most abundant element in the universe, it also makes up most of the gas giants in the Solar System like Jupiter. Helium, another light gas, should also theoretically be easy to spot in exoplanet atmospheres, but scientists have not detected it till now, notes the report.

"This is a new method to probe the upper parts of an exoplanet atmosphere, where high-energy radiation is observed," study lead author Jessica Spake, an astronomer at the University of Exeter in England. "Hopefully, we'll be able to study many more upper planetary atmospheres this way."

Studying the atmosphere of an exoplanet involves looking at the light that passes through it as it reaches Earth. When a planet passes in front of its host star and casts an interstellar shadow, observers on Earth can spot the shadow as well as the light that filters through and different elements react in different ways to light and this is something of a fingerprint which can be read by scientists.

Helium was spotted for the very first time on WASP-107b, a super-Neptune gas giant that is about 200 light years from Earth. It is reported to be roughly the same size as Jupiter, but is a lot lighter, about one-eighth its mass, making it one of the least dense planets ever discovered. Also, WASP-107b is about eight times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. One orbit by 107b takes about 5.7 Earth days. This proximity to its star and speed of revolution means it is also one of the hottest known planets known with temperatures reaching about 500 deg C.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was turned toward WASP to study the planet and capture infrared radiation emanating from it, notes the report. Apart from hydrogen, helium was also found in its excited state."The helium we detected extends far out to space as a tenuous cloud surrounding the planet," study co-author Tom Evans, also of the University of Exeter, said in a statement. The radiation from the star is so intense at that proximity that the planet's atmosphere is pushed out like a tail of a comet.</s>Astronomers have detected helium gas in the atmosphere of a planet that orbits a star far beyond our solar system for the first time. An international team, led by Jessica Spake from the University of Exeter in the UK, discovered evidence of the inert gas on ‘super-Neptune’ exoplanet WASP-107b, 200 light years from Earth and in the constellation of Virgo. The breakthrough, made from observations using the Hubble Space Telescope, revealed an abundance of helium in the upper atmosphere of the exoplanet, which was only discovered in 2017, according to the study published in the journal Nature. “The helium we detected extends far out to space as a tenuous cloud surrounding the planet,” said Tom Evans from the University of Exeter. “If smaller, Earth-sized planets have similar helium clouds, this new technique offers an exciting means to study their upper atmospheres in the very near future,” Evans said.

The strength of the helium signal detected was so large that scientists believe the planet’s upper atmosphere extends tens of thousands of kilometres into space. Helium is the second most common element in the universe and it has long-since been predicted to be one of the most readily-detectable gases on giant exoplanets. However, this is the first time that the gas has been successfully found, researchers said. The team believes that the study could pave the way for scientists to discover more atmospheres around Earth-sized exoplanets across the galaxy. WASP-107b is a very low-density planet similar in size to Jupiter, but with only 12 per cent of its mass. Orbiting its host star every six days, it has one of the coolest atmospheres of any of the exoplanets discovered, although at 500 digress Celsius is still radically hotter that Earth, according to the researchers.

By analysing the spectrum of light passing through the upper part of the exoplanet’s atmosphere, the researchers were able to detect the presence of helium in an excited state. The significant strength of the signal measured exploited a new technique that does not rely on ultraviolet measurements which have historically been used to study upper exoplanet atmospheres. The team believes this new technique, which uses infrared light, could open up new paths to exploring the atmospheres of more Earth-sized exoplanets found in the further reaches of the universe.
Helium has been detected for the first time in the atmosphere of an exoplanet by scientists observing WASP-107b.