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Studying the atmospheres of exoplanets is helpful for several reasons. Sometimes, it helps in understanding their formation. Sometimes, it helps define whether the planet might be habitable. And sometimes, you allow a press officer to write the headline \u201cStench of a gas giant? Nearby exoplanet reeks of rotten eggs.\u201d That headline was released by John Hopkins University\u2019s (JHU) press department after a study describing the atmosphere of one of the nearest known \u201chot Jupiters\u201d was recently published in Nature.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The malodorous stench from rotten eggs is caused by a compound known as hydrogen sulfide. In the case of exoplanet HD 189733, the atmosphere has trace amounts of the molecule. Technically, even a tiny amount is enough to cause a rancid smell. Still, given all the other components of the planet\u2019s atmosphere, it might not even be noticeable to a physical nose.<\/p>\n So, how did astronomers detect it? By using spectral analysis from the James Webb Space Telescope. It showed not only hydrogen sulfur in the planet\u2019s atmosphere but also other types of sulfur, which is considered one of the building blocks of life as we know it and, therefore, a prime candidate for detection in the hunt for habitable worlds.<\/p>\n \n