The pink planet known as GJ504b has captured renewed scientific attention after new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope revealed surprising details about its atmosphere.
Scientists say the distant world may feature salty clouds and a complex chemical mix, making it one of the most unusual planetary objects studied to date.
A cold and mysterious world
Located less than 60 light-years away, GJ504b orbits a Sun-like star at a vast distance, far beyond where most planets in our solar system would typically form.
Researchers remain divided over whether it is a giant exoplanet or a brown dwarf, a class of object that sits between planets and stars.
The pink planet is unusually cold for its size, with temperatures estimated at around 290°C, and may be billions of years old.
JWST data reveals unusual atmosphere
Using spectral data from the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists identified unusual atmospheric signatures that could not be fully explained by existing models.
Researchers believe that without accounting for cloud formation, the data produced physically inconsistent results.
When simulations included cloud layers, the models aligned more closely with observations.
Possible salty cloud composition
The study suggests that the pink planet may host clouds made of compounds such as potassium chloride or zinc sulfide.
Its atmosphere may also contain a mix of water, methane, ammonia, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, creating a chemically complex environment.
Scientists say this combination could explain the planet’s unusual pinkish appearance and spectral behaviour.
Clues to planetary formation
Researchers also found that GJ504b appears enriched with heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen and possibly sulfur, compared with its parent star.
This could indicate that the pink planet formed in a protoplanetary disk like a traditional planet, rather than developing as a failed star.
Breakthrough for exoplanet research
Scientists say the findings mark an important step in understanding faint and distant planetary-mass objects.
The study highlights the importance of accounting for cloud formations when modelling exoplanet atmospheres.
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