An Abu Dhabi scientist was part of a team of researchers who mapped temperatures on a planet 400 million light years away – and found that some areas are as hot as 3,500°C.
Dr Jasmina Blecic, from New York University Abu Dhabi, and her fellow researchers produced what is described as the first three-dimensional temperature map of an exoplanet – a planet that orbits a star other than the Sun.
The work on an exoplanet called Wasp-18b, described in a new paper in Nature Astronomy, forms part of wider efforts to better understand the universe and to develop techniques to study potentially habitable worlds.
Temperatures on exoplanets can vary wildly. The coldest known exoplanet experiences temperatures as low as minus 223°C, with the hottest topping 4,000°C.
While Wasp-18b itself is unsuitable for life, Dr Blecic, who is part of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Centre for Astrophysics and Space Science, said analysis of exoplanets could indicate which ones may be home to life.
“What motivates us when we study exoplanets is to answer the question, ‘Are we alone? Are there habitable planets out there?’” Dr Blecic told The National.
To help find answers, the first thing that scientists must understand, Dr Blecic said, is the temperature of the planet. “We expect the habitable planets that host life will have temperatures similar to what we have on Earth, which allow water to be liquid,” she added.
Too hot to handle
Although some other exoplanets may be habitable, Wasp-18b unquestionably is not: it is far too hot to have liquid water and it is purely gaseous. “It is not just that the temperatures are not appropriate for life to evolve in the form that we know it. The planet also should have a solid surface to be habitable,” Dr Blecic said.
Indeed, while there is some water vapour in the planet’s atmosphere, the temperatures are so extreme that most water molecules have been split into their chemical components, namely ions.
Dr Blecic and her co-researchers believe these charged particles move between north and south in the planet’s atmosphere, a consequence of Wasp-18b having a very strong magnetic field.
Wasp-18b’s temperatures are so high because it orbits its star 20 times closer than Mercury orbits the sun, forcing the planet to be, like our moon, tidally locked. This means a full rotation and a full orbit take the same length of time, so the same side always faces the larger planet.
Some areas of Wasp-18b are as much as 2,000°C cooler than others, with the variation depending on how much exposure to the star that part of the planet receives.
Producing a three-dimensional temperature map of an exoplanet is important because, Dr Blecic said, the temperature heavily dictates what conditions on the planet are like, in terms of both the climate and the atmosphere’s chemical composition.
The map was created from data from Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope by a technique called 3D eclipse mapping, which involves measuring light changes associated with different parts of the atmosphere as a planet moves behind its star.
Analysing these variations in wavelengths allowed researchers to create a map showing how temperature varies with latitude, longitude and altitude.
Unravelling mysteries of the universe
There are thousands of known exoplanets and the researchers say their 3D mapping model could be applied to many of them.
Scientists have been observing Wasp-18b since 2009, but the quality of the data from the James Webb Space Telescope far exceeds that from previous analysis.
More than two years ago, again using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, Dr Blecic and her co-researchers revealed that they had found water on Wasp-18b.
This indicated to the scientists that they would also be able to detect water on other exoplanets, including some that might be habitable.
Despite being gaseous, Wasp-18b is very dense, with a mass that is about 3,000 times of Earth, even though its radius (the distance from the centre to the surface) is only about 10 times that of Earth. It is one of the densest planets that Dr Blecic and her colleagues have analysed.
Although the distance from Wasp-18b to Earth, at about 400 light years, is difficult to comprehend, given that light travels at just under 300,000km per second, it is tiny in relation to the universe as a whole.
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 100,000 light years across, while the observable universe stretches to about 94 billion light years.
As well as Wasp-18b, Dr Blecic has previously published findings on a planet called Wasp-39b, which is around 700 light years away and is notable for being the first exoplanet where carbon dioxide has been detected in the atmosphere.
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25′, Shelvey 88′)
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22′, De Bruyne 82′)
The five pillars of Islam
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politicsThe specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ogram%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Kouatly%20and%20Shafiq%20Khartabil%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20On-demand%20staffing%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2050%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMore%20than%20%244%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%2C%20Aditum%20and%20Oraseya%20Capital%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Living in…
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
More from Neighbourhood Watch:Remaining fixtures
Third-place-play-off: Portugal v Mexico, 4pm on Sunday
Final: Chile v Germany, 10pm on Sunday
FIXTURES
New Zealand v France, second Test
Saturday, 12.35pm (UAE)
Auckland, New Zealand
South Africa v Wales
Sunday, 12.40am (UAE), San Juan, Argentina
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos – a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as ‘the pride of victory’ – and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels – sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim – chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street – the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Mohammed bin Zayed MajlisPoacher
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round – in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds