Researchers find salty clouds surrounding the Pink Planet GJ504b using James Webb Space Telescope; discovery reveals unexpected atmospheric features.

Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have made a groundbreaking discovery surrounding GJ504b, the so-called Pink Planet, located 57 light-years from Earth.^1891011

They found salty clouds in its atmosphere, challenging previous assumptions about such celestial bodies.

GJ504b, with a temperature of 550°F (290°C), is not a planet but a planetary-mass companion, possibly a giant exoplanet or a small brown dwarf.

Discovered in 2013, it is estimated to be between 2.5 billion and 4 billion years old and has a mass around 25 times that of Jupiter.⁴⁵

The new observations revealed a rich mix of chemicals, including water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia.⁶

According to Aneesh Baburaj, the study's leader, the presence of salt clouds was critical in explaining the spectrum of GJ504b.⁷

"We tried three different types of clouds, and salt clouds fit best. When we accounted for salt clouds, it subdued the signature of molecules hidden deeper in the companion’s atmosphere," Baburaj stated.

This discovery provides some of the first direct evidence for salt clouds in a cold object's atmosphere, a phenomenon theorized for over 15 years.²

The researchers were surprised by the ease of detection with the Webb telescope, which took only two hours to capture the faint light of the Pink Planet, creating a light "fingerprint" that revealed its atmospheric composition.

Baburaj noted, "We will be able to detect colder and colder objects, and a lot of these objects might have these higher metal-to-hydrogen ratios compared to our sun."