Exoplanet might have oxygen atmosphere, but not life
The distant planet GJ 1132b intrigued astronomers when it was discovered last year. Located just 39 light-years from Earth, it might have an atmosphere despite being baked to a temperature of around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. But would that atmosphere be thick and soupy or thin and wispy? New research suggests the latter is much more likely. In a new paper accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, astronomer Laura Schaefer of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and her colleagues examined the question of what would happen to GJ 1132b over time if it began with a steamy, water-rich atmosphere. Orbiting so close to its star, at a distance of just 1.4 million miles, the planet is flooded with ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light breaks apart water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, both of which then can be lost into space. However, since hydrogen is lighter it escapes more readily, while oxygen...