Re-working planetary theory

Features: Current EventsCritical Path Innovation: Space ExplorationInstitutions: NASAProjects: Spitzer Space TelescopeSites in Space: Vulpecula, Pegasus

Apparently NASA figured that any star system containing Hydrogen and Oxygen would form H2O. It sounds like a safe bet to me. However they are finding that they need to rework that theory. Several large planets studied by the Spitzer Space Telescope do not contain water in their atmosphere as NASA thought they should. Instead they are surrounded by, at least in one case, a cloud of fine silicate particles. No word in the article on a new theory of H2O formation in celestial bodies, ie Why here in our Solar System do we have a majority of planets (6 planets and 1 dwarf out of 9) with water in the atmosphere and in other solar systems large planets with atmospheres do not contain water, despite the abundance of Hydrogen and Oxygen?


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