A very detailed study revealed little water once in three distant planets, suggesting the possibility of a hindrance in the search for other worlds similar to the Earth that are rich in H2O (water), say the astronomers.
Quoted from the New Zealand Herald, using the Hubble Space Telescope, a team conducted detailed measurements of three atmospheric gas giants orbiting stars similar to the sun, we are hoping to find "a lot of water."
At a distance of between 60 and 900 light-years from Earth, the worlds there is very hot, with temperatures between 900 and 2,200 degrees Celsius so that they suspected the ideal candidate for the detection of water vapor.
However, the researchers' almost did not get anything, "said a statement from the University of Cambridge who participated in the study.
"At least the water which we found very surprising," said lead researcher Nikku Madhusudhan of the Institute of Astronomy at the university.
"These results show how challenging the detection of water in the outer planets like Earth in our quest about the possibility of life elsewhere."
One planet, HD 209458b ie, measured most accurately by measuring the chemicals that have been done on a planet outside our solar system, the team said. Two other planets are HD 189733b and WASP-12b.
Three planets that have between 1/10 and 1/1000 the amount of water that is estimated according to the standard theory of planet formation, the statement said.
As we get ready to search for signs of life in outer rocky planets similar to Earth in size, we must be prepared to find planets with the amount of water that is much less than we expected according to the size of a human planet. "
Search using telescopes in the future for signs of water should now be designed with a higher sensitivity to the possibility of planets much drier than expected.
The findings also "opens up a whole can of worms" existing theories of planet formation, "added by Madhusudhan.
According to the theories that have been acceptable, giant planets form around young stars in a "disc" cosmic consisting of hydrogen, helium, ice, and dust particles.
Debut particles stick together, forming an increasingly large chunk being pulled together by the force of gravity of the disc.
The core of the planet is being formed that continues to attract solid and gas to become gas giants, which allegedly more oxygen atmosphere in the form of water.
"At least the moisture content found in this study invites a number of questions about the chemicals that lead to the formation of the planet," the statement said.
One possibility is that the discs at first the place of origin of the planets have less water than previously suspected.
The team used Hubble to study planets when passing in front of their parent stars and look for signs of water vapor affects the starlight shining through the atmosphere the gas giants, as seen from the earth.
