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Astronomers reveal 3D structure of an alien planet's atmosphere

An illustration image of the atmosphere of the exoplanet Tylos (or WASP-121b)

The atmosphere of the exoplanet Tylos (or WASP-121b), a gaseous, giant planet located about 900 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Puppis, is seen in this illustration  released by the European Southern Observatory on Wednesday. The atmosphere of Tylos is divided into three layers. 

 ESO/M. Kornmesser

WASHINGTON � Astronomers for the first time have deciphered the three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere of a planet beyond our solar system, revealing three layers like a wedding cake on a ferociously hot gas planet that orbits close to a star bigger and hotter than our sun.

The researchers peered through the atmosphere of WASP-121b, a planet also called Tylos, by combining all four telescope units of the European Southern Observatory's Chile-based Very Large Telescope, discerning a stratification of layers with different chemical compositions and intense winds.



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