These groundbreaking findings were made on MASCARA-4b, an ultra-hot gas giant with a mass 3.1 times that of Jupiter and a scorching surface temperature of 2,000 degrees Celsius. A team of Chinese researchers from the Laboratory of Optical Astronomy at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the School of Astronomy and Space Sciences, and the South American Center for Astronomy made this remarkable discovery.
Led by Wei Wang, the experts identified these chemical elements by observing the red-hot planet through ESO's Very Large Telescope, a system consisting of four reflecting telescopes situated on Cerro Paranal, over 2,600 meters above sea level in the Atacama Desert. Utilizing the telescope's instruments, the researchers analyzed the spectra of light reflected from the celestial body to determine the elements present in the atmosphere.
Apart from samarium and rubidium, the team also identified calcium, magnesium, chromium, iron, titanium, barium, and potentially scandium on MASCARA-4b. Samarium's discovery is particularly noteworthy, as it is the heaviest element ever detected on an exoplanet.
/Dr. Wei Wang explained to New Scientist that, given their large atomic number, these elements should be present at low altitudes and therefore difficult to observe. Rubidium, an alkaline element similar to sodium and potassium, is highly reactive, especially with water, and can cause fires upon contact with air. Typically found in soil and rocks rather than in a free state, it is abundantly distributed throughout the Earth's crust. Samarium, exhibiting a silvery appearance, is also prevalent in numerous minerals and widely dispersed in the Earth's crust. The discovery of titanium on MASCARA-4b suggests low oxygen levels.
The ultra-hot planet, located 0.047 Astronomical Units (AU) from its host star, orbits so closely that it completes a full revolution in just 2.8 Earth days.
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