Discovery of Water Clouds Outside the Solar System

Although seeing a cloudy day might not be an extraordinary event on Earth and may not even be welcomed by many, witnessing cloud masses anywhere else in the universe is considered a significant achievement for scientists. According to Space.com, a group of researchers from the University of Santa Cruz in the United States has announced that they have successfully observed cloud masses (made of water molecules) outside the solar system for the first time. These cloud masses were seen in a brown dwarf named WISE 0855, which is more than seven light-years away from Earth. This brown dwarf was discovered in 2014. A brown dwarf is larger than planets but smaller than stars. Due to its small size and consequently lower gravity, nuclear fusion does not occur in these objects like it does in other stars; for this reason, a brown dwarf is sometimes referred to as an 'imperfect star.' The surface temperature of this brown dwarf is minus 23 degrees Celsius, which is close to the temperature of Jupiter. Structurally, this brown dwarf is very similar to Jupiter, although it is five times larger than Jupiter, which is the largest planet in the solar system. The results of this research, published in the scientific journal Astrophysical Journal Letters, indicate that the atmosphere of this brown dwarf is covered with water vapor and clouds. The Gemini telescope in Hawaii was used for a detailed observation of this brown dwarf. The brown dwarf is very dim and difficult to observe. Scientists hope that studying this brown dwarf will enhance their knowledge of Jupiter (since the structures of the two are very similar) and also help uncover the mystery of the presence of water in other celestial bodies.