The surface of our Sun has a temperature of 6 000 K, however, the researchers were able to detect the planet, atmospheric gases, which are heated up to 26 000 K! Of course, without any internal thermonuclear reactions.

Planet HD 189733b is rotated by an order closer to its star than mercury is to the Sun: its year is laid down in 2.5 days. (Illustration S. Redfield / T. Jones / McDonald Obs.)

Planet HD 189733b is a "hot Jupiter", which revolves at a distance of just 5 million miles from its star, orange dwarf HD 189733 in the constellation of Chanterelles. From the Earth heroine notes separated 63 light years.

Proceeding from this distance and intensity of radiation of a star, the planet's temperature was measured by astronomers in 1 227 K. However, the Adam Jensen from Wesleyan University (USA) research H?, spectral lines, created by the electrons of the atoms in the transition from the third to the second energy level, has revealed the unexpected. The temperature of the outer layers of the atmosphere (where and contained investigated hydrogen) was approximately 26 000 K, which is many times greater than that of the surface of its stars, heated to less than 5 000 K.

Suddenly, you see. As if your room heater suddenly heated all around to several thousand degrees. Even at zero albedo only due to the radiation of its star HD 189733b could warm up to a maximum of 1 700 To, and observations gave an order in excess of a higher temperature. How is this possible?

Adam Jensen believes that two factors. The first of them is the constant heating gases of the atmosphere UV radiation is very close to the stars. If the surface of the orange dwarf HD 189733 radiation goes into the space, the planet HD 189733b is blocking its surface the way of radiation. Its thick gas atmosphere thermally isolate the outer layers, which heats up, almost giving up its heat inside the atmosphere. In fact, the upper layers of gases "boil" - evaporated into space. One would expect that the atmosphere (and even the kernel) HD 189733b so quickly evaporate. But calculations, underlines Mr. Jensen, show that the star HD 189733 will die much sooner than you can breathe the atmosphere of their nearest planet.

The second factor which heats the atmosphere up to an unusual value, called persistent and very intense flash on the surface of HD 189733. It looks like the hottest part of the star's chromosphere reach the atmosphere of the planet and advanced sear" her. However, this would not result in overheating of the atmosphere, if its internal layers are not insulated external, leaving almost all of their received warm outside.

We emphasize: data Adam Jensen need further analysis and verification. In fact, previous studies in the infrared part of the spectrum given the maximum result in 1 227 C; in addition, in the atmosphere had traces of water and methane that is incompatible with these same 26 thousand degrees Kelvin. Perhaps it is a fact that some of the hydrogen atoms in the exosphere really heated up significantly greater value than the environment in General and especially its inner layers that need to be colder. Moreover, according to some, the atmosphere of HD 189733b is very thick that the "hot Jupiter" is quite typical.

A research report published by Mr. Jensen in the Astrophysical Journal.

Prepared based on materials from Wesleyan University.