All articles tagged with #atmosphere
Public Starlink ephemeris data enables tomographic mapping of the thermosphere; researchers have used it to estimate atmospheric density at high altitudes, with results aligning with dedicated satellites like SWARM-B, suggesting this LEO constellation could become a major resource for upper-atmosphere science.
Titan’s climate is a tug-of-war between a greenhouse warming (+21 K, ~38°F) from its thick atmosphere and a high-altitude antigreenhouse cooling (−9 K, ~16°F) from hazy skies. Net effect: the surface sits about 22°F warmer than Titan’s effective temperature (94 K vs 82 K). Huygens and Cassini measurements corroborate the surface temperature, while the breakdown into warming and cooling terms comes from a 1991 model by McKay, Pollack and Courtin, illustrating Titan’s climate as a balance of large opposing processes.
Astronomers report Pluto’s nitrogen-rich atmosphere is starting to freeze out as it moves away from the Sun, with atmospheric pressure dropping about 16% between mid-2021 and 2023. Pluto’s surface runs at roughly -382°F while the upper atmosphere sits around -333°F, conditions that favor frost formation as the air cools. Observations of ten stellar occultations from 2017–2023 show haze in the lower atmosphere settling toward lower latitudes as pressure falls. The findings, led by Amanda Sickafoose, suggest the atmosphere will not be fully frozen by aphelion (2114) but should rebuild somewhat as Pluto travels back toward the Sun. The study was published July 31 in the Planetary Science Journal.
Pluto’s nitrogen‑rich atmosphere is starting to condense into frost as it drifts farther from the Sun on its 248‑year orbit. Surface temperatures are about -382°F (-230°C) and the upper atmosphere around -333°F (-203°C). Observations of ten stellar occultations from 2017–2023 show atmospheric pressure has declined ~16% since 2021 (likely haze settling to lower latitudes). NASA’s New Horizons had measured a baseline atmospheric pressure of about 10 microbars in 2015. Pluto’s aphelion will occur in 2114 at ~49 AU, and the atmosphere isn’t expected to be fully frozen by then; frost could sublimate and the atmosphere thicken again as Pluto heads back toward the Sun.
Astronomers detected a helium signal escaping from LHS 1140 b duringtransits, providing the first atmospheric confirmation for a rocky planet in a star’s habitable zone and placing it 48 light-years away in Cetus. The finding shows an atmosphere exists, but leaves questions about its composition, pressure and surface conditions. The observation used the Magellan telescope in 2024, with a recheck in 2025 that yielded a non-detection, suggesting the escape can vary with the star’s high-energy output; further repeated helium detections and Webb observations are planned to probe the planet’s gases and potential habitability.
New Horizons data and Earth-based stellar occultations show Pluto’s atmospheric pressure rose from 1988 to 2015, stayed roughly constant until about 2021, and then declined by as much as 16% by 2022 as the dwarf planet moved farther from the Sun, potentially signaling the first signs of atmospheric collapse that had been anticipated for decades; continued observations over the coming years will be needed to confirm the trend, with Pluto not returning closer to the Sun until 2114.
Mars was once wet, with rivers and possibly an ocean, but two fates explain its drying: much water vapour escaped to space after the magnetic shield faded, while a newer view suggests a deep, crustal reservoir could still hold vast amounts of water — possibly enough to flood the planet if released. MAVEN confirms ongoing atmospheric loss, but the deep-water interpretation remains debated and not yet proven; Perseverance’s Jezero samples could test past habitability, and future seismic or drilling missions would be needed to confirm buried stores.
Bluesky’s new permanent CEO Toni Schneider pitches a decade-long plan to grow the open AT Protocol and ATmosphere: keep Bluesky as a text-first, ad-free app while expanding private, member-based spaces, distributed moderation, and ecosystem-wide monetization. He also pushes protocol governance to independent bodies (IETF and a Swiss foundation) and envisions a federated network of thousands of apps built on AT Proto, with user data and identity owned by users.
Scientists report promising signs that the rocky exoplanet LHS 1140b, about 49 light-years away in its star’s habitable zone, could have an atmosphere after detecting helium during a transit, a hint that it may have lost its hydrogen but retained helium and possibly other gases. If confirmed, this would make LHS 1140b the first known rocky planet in a habitable zone with an atmosphere, a major step for habitability studies. However, a 2025 follow-up failed to re-detect helium, so further observations with JWST and Hubble are planned to confirm the signal and search for other atmospheric components such as water.
Astronomers using Gemini North spectroscopy detected trace hydrogen sulfide above Uranus’s cloud tops (about 0.4–0.8 parts per million), confirming a sulfur-bearing layer and showing Uranus is chemically distinct from the inner gas giants. The planet’s blue color comes from methane, not sulfur, and while the “rotten egg” smell is a real footnote, any visitor would be overwhelmed by the extreme cold and unbreathable atmosphere long before odor could be noticed. The finding helps constrain how Uranus formed and where its clouds originate.
Ground-based spectroscopy captured helium escaping from the upper atmosphere of rocky exoplanet LHS 1140 b, confirming it retains an atmosphere in a star‑active red-dwarf system and suggesting a layered atmosphere; the atmospheric loss appears tied to stellar activity, making LHS 1140 b a high-priority target for JWST/Hubble to search for water and other habitability indicators.
Titan is the only moon with a thick atmosphere (surface pressure about 1.6 times Earth’s), so you wouldn’t need a pressure suit, but its -179°C surface and nitrogen/methane air mean there is essentially no breathable oxygen, requiring your own supply and heavy cold protection. The moon hosts an Earth-like weather cycle fueled by methane/ethane, and NASA’s Dragonfly mission aims to study Titan’s prebiotic chemistry, not life detection.
A 2010 Venus observation with the Extreme Polarimeter showed possible concentric rings visible only in polarized light; initially suspected as an instrument artifact, simulations indicate 5–10% upper-atmosphere density variations caused by atmospheric gravity waves could produce similar rings. The signal hasn’t yet been replicated, but the authors published their findings to spur further observations with newer polarimeters, which could reveal how Venus’ atmospheric waves transport energy and relate to its famous superrotation.
Astronomers have found the strongest evidence yet that the rocky exoplanet LHS 1140 b, orbiting a red dwarf in its habitable zone, retains an atmosphere, inferred from helium escaping from the planet and detected with ground-based spectroscopy; the result suggests Earth-like worlds can maintain atmospheres for billions of years and opens new avenues to study their habitability.
Venus operates four different clocks: a 243‑day retrograde rotation of the solid planet, a 224.7‑day orbital year, a 116.75‑day solar day, and a four‑day high-altitude cloud circulation that zips around the planet due to atmospheric super-rotation. The clouds move westward at ~360 km/h while the surface at the equator turns slowly (~6.5 km/h). These motions are not contradictory—they describe different layers and motions, with the atmosphere transferring angular momentum via thermal tides, gravity waves, and turbulence, all while being bound to the planet. Akatsuki observations and models show how surface-topography, waves, and solar heating drive a complex, coupled system rather than a single cause for the fast cloud winds.