The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spotted winds blowing at unprecedented speeds on the exoplanet WASP-43b, which is around 283 light-years away from Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spotted winds blowing at unprecedented speeds on the exoplanet WASP-43b, which is around 283 light-years away from Earth. The exoplanet's one side permanently faces its sun and the other is cloaked in eternal night. WASP-43b is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium and is significantly hotter than any gas giant in the solar system, due to its closeness to its host star, which it orbits once every 19 Earth hours. According to a report by Live Science, this proximity meant that WASP-43b was also tidally locked to its star. The report said that researchers discovered that this tidal lock permanently heats one side of the planet to temperatures around 1,260 degrees Celsius. A change in temperature that drives fierce winds In a recent study, scientists discovered that the temperature difference between the day and night side drove fierce winds that could reach speeds of up to 9,000 km/hour. In a statement, Taylor Bell, a researcher from the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute and the study's lead author said, "With Hubble, we could clearly see that there is water vapour on the dayside. Both Hubble and Spitzer suggested there might be clouds on the nightside." Also read | James Webb captures stunning Horsehead Nebula as ‘you’ve never seen it before...’ "But we needed more precise measurements from Webb to really begin mapping the temperature, cloud cover, winds, and more detailed atmospheric composition all the way around the planet,” Bell added. The scientists used Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure light from the WASP-43 system every 10 seconds for more than 24 hours. “By observing over an entire orbit, we were able to calculate the temperature of different sides of the planet as they rotate into view,” Bell said. "The measurements show that the dayside has an average temperature of nearly 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,250 degrees Celsius) – hot enough to forge iron. Meanwhile, the nightside is significantly cooler at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius)," the statement said. "The data also helps locate the hottest spot on the planet (the “hotspot”), which is shifted slightly eastward from the point that receives the most stellar radiation, where the star is highest in the planet’s sky. This shift occurs because of supersonic winds, which move heated air eastward," it added. Exoplanet discovered in 2011 WASP-43b was discovered in 2011. According to NASA, WASP-43b orbits a K-type star. The exoplanet was initially studied by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. However, the JWST has now captured the finer details of its atmosphere. (With inputs from agencies)

James Webb Space Telescope  spots fierce winds on exoplanet WASP-43b

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James Webb Space Telescope spots fierce winds on exoplanet WASP-43b