Astronomers have confirmed for the first time the existence of an atmosphere on a relatively small planet dominated by heavier chemical elements than hydrogen. Scientists have found that the already known planet GJ 9827 d, which is 98 light years away and almost twice as big as Earth, is a so-called steam world. A high concentration of water vapor was found in its atmosphere, as well as the existence of heavier chemical elements than hydrogen. This discovery is of great importance for the search for extraterrestrial life on planets outside the Solar System. The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, reports Phys. Exoplanet GJ 9827 d was already the subject of a study by scientists earlier this year. The Hubble Space Telescope confirmed that the planet has a substantial atmosphere and found signs of water on it. The world, which is almost twice the size of Earth, is now the smallest known planet to have an atmosphere. Now, scientists have conducted a new observation of the planet GJ 9827 d using the Webb Space Telescope and found that the water is in the form of steam, and thus this object can be considered a so-called steam world. Detecting atmospheres on relatively small planets is much more difficult than on larger rocky worlds and gas giants. It is even more difficult to detect atmospheres where the dominant element is not hydrogen, but heavier chemical elements. New data have shown that GJ 9827 d’s atmosphere contains not only a lot of water vapor, but also a high concentration of heavy chemical elements and compounds. This is the first time astronomers have discovered a planet with a heavy, water-rich atmosphere, with much less hydrogen than other known worlds. It is assumed that the planet’s atmosphere may be rich in carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Thus, it is more similar to the atmospheres of terrestrial planets, including Earth. The problem is that GJ 9827 d is too close to its star to support life. The planet’s temperature is about 350 degrees Celsius. However, scientists say the new discovery is a major step forward in the search for habitable worlds. The fact that a relatively small planet has a water-rich atmosphere supports the hypothesis that such worlds do exist, meaning that Earth-like planets that are habitable could be found. Now astronomers intend to study the chemical composition of the atmosphere of the planet GJ 9827 d more closely in order to determine exactly what it consists of. The post Water Found on Earth-Like Planet and Its Significance for Extraterrestrial Life appeared first on Anomalien.com.