Scientists discover exoplanet with 20,500 mph winds — the fastest in the known universe

[Admin]

"The planet has complex weather patterns just like Earth and other planets of our own system."

Scientists discover exoplanet with 20,500 mph winds — the fastest in the known universe : Read more

 

[billslugg]

If the planet is tidally locked, the star stays fixed in the sky. There is no "morning side " or "evening side". I don't understand.

 

[24launch]

If the planet is tidally locked, the star stays fixed in the sky. There is no "morning side " or "evening side". I don't understand.

Sure it stays fixed in the sky, but the planet is still rotating and the atmosphere is whipping around it in the same direction as the rotation.

I had to play around with this in my head a bit. But think of the side of the planet that's leading into the orbit as the morning side and the side that's trailing as the evening side. The winds are whipping around in the same direction as the rotation, in fact six times faster. So as the winds go around the backside they cool making the "morning" side cooler as they come back around. And of course heat up more on the daylight side making the "evening" side warmer as they head back around the nightside.

20,500 MPH is nuts! Considering 17,500 is orbital velocity for Earth!

 

[George²]

Now I imagine how in 2050, with a new space telescope that is 50 times better than the best ones today, we can actually measure the wind speed of the closest exoplanets to us.

 

[billslugg]

As viewed from the star, the planet is not rotating. The star never moves in the sky as seen from the planet. The planet rotates once per revolution, just like our Moon. With a star fixed in your sky, how do you know which way it rose? You don't because it didn't.
As written, the article is meaningless.

 

[LemmyCaution]

Sure it stays fixed in the sky, but the planet is still rotating and the atmosphere is whipping around it in the same direction as the rotation.

I had to play around with this in my head a bit. But think of the side of the planet that's leading into the orbit as the morning side and the side that's trailing as the evening side. The winds are whipping around in the same direction as the rotation, in fact six times faster. So as the winds go around the backside they cool making the "morning" side cooler as they come back around. And of course heat up more on the daylight side making the "evening" side warmer as they head back around the nightside.

20,500 MPH is nuts! Considering 17,500 is orbital velocity for Earth!

Please help me with this. If the planet is tidally locked with its star, how could it possibly be rotating? And without any rotation what is causing those powerful winds? I'm lost on this one.

 

[billslugg]

A planet that is tidally locked to a star has one side constantly pointed to the star. If you go to the back side of the planet and look at the faraway stars, you would see them go by once per year. Thus a tidally locked planet rotates around its own axis once per revolution around the star, thus it rotates once a year.

I don't know how the winds get going that fast.

 

[Classical Motion]

Only the wind would have a dusk and a dawn. And if it’s that size, and if it’s that close(4 day orbit) with it’s star, all kinds of unknown interactions might be happening. How fast is the star rotating? A planet like that might have a huge bulge at the equator. Might even bulge it’s star. Perhaps mound it’s star.

Perhaps dusk and dawn refers to the planet transition?

I was assuming using the star’s back light for the spectrum of surface atmosphere analysis. I probably didn’t say that right.

The planet would have to be offside of star, with star blacked out for reflection analysis. If that’s possible.

I would disregard the velocity supposition. To enthusiasm.

But this is just a hayseed observation. And the young need disappointment. Very early on. It’s the spice of life. Try again. No one would do anything without disappointment.

It’s the motive for creation. Of many things. Beating our heads against the wall is one.

 

[Classical Motion]

Could the planets constant temp diff, cause those circulations?

 

[George²]

In fact, I am convinced that winds of this speed are not even theoretically possible in planetary atmospheres.

 

[LemmyCaution]

A planet that is tidally locked to a star has one side constantly pointed to the star. If you go to the back side of the planet and look at the faraway stars, you would see them go by once per year. Thus a tidally locked planet rotates around its own axis once per revolution around the star, thus it rotates once a year.

I don't know how the winds get going that fast.

Thank you; now I understand how and why this exoplanet rotates. And as you say, this doesn't do anything to explain the unbelievably high wind speeds.