Exoplanet Details
WASP-17b, a hot Jupiter exoplanet located 1,300 light-years away from Earth, has been the subject of a groundbreaking discovery. The James Webb Space Telescope used its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to detect quartz crystals in the planet’s atmosphere.
Composition and Atmospheric Conditions
These crystals are made of silica (SiO2), a common mineral found on Earth. They form high-altitude clouds on the gas giant and exist in temperatures around 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius).