The discovery of a planet that is far too large for its sun defies models of solar system and planet formation. In an article published in Science, researchers report the discovery of a planet over thirteen times as heavy as Earth orbiting the ultra-cool dwarf star LHS 3154, which is nine times less massive than the Sun. The mass ratio of the newly discovered planet and its parent star is more than a hundred times higher than that of Earth and the Sun. One of the authors is Yamila Miguel (SRON/Leiden Observatory).
Month: November 2023
COP28: Global projects for landfill methane reduction with satellite monitoring
During COP28 in Dubai, several projects will be launched to combat methane emissions from landfills worldwide. SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and GHGSat play a key role by scanning the entire globe every day with the Dutch satellite instrument TROPOMI and zooming in with GHGSat satellites.
Researchers call for Dutch leading role in global methane monitoring
At COP28 in Dubai, countries are looking to reach new agreements to reduce emissions. This requires the identification of emission sources. The Netherlands has extensive experience in emission monitoring from space. Researchers from SRON, KNMI, TNO and TU Delft see huge methane plumes over landfills and fossil fuel installations with their current space instrument TROPOMI. They are now jointly advocating for the Netherlands to take a leading role in identifying more of this low-hanging fruit worldwide. ‘We have all the necessary knowledge. The Netherlands has a unique opportunity to lead the world in monitoring methane, but that requires long-term commitment.’
James Webb discovers sand clouds on “cotton candy planet” WASP-107b
An international team of astronomers, co-led by Michiel Min (SRON), has discovered a silicate-based weather system on a fluffy gas planet around the star WASP-107. It is the first time that scientists find clouds and rain made of sand. They also conclude that the temperature deeper in the atmosphere is rising surprisingly rapid. Publication in Nature.
Ammonia indicator for planet formation history
A group of scientists, including Michiel Min (SRON), have for the first time observed ammonia isotopologues in the atmosphere of a celestial body. They used the James Webb Space Telescope. It gives astronomers new tools to deduce how gas giants are formed. Publication in Nature.
The Netherlands signs NASA agreements for effective cooperation in space
The Netherlands joins the countries that endorse the values and principles in the Artemis Accords drawn up by NASA. Director of the Dutch space agency NSO, Harm van de Wetering, therefore put his signature to the document this morning in Washington, in the presence of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the Dutch Ambassador Birgitta Tazelaar and Michael Wise as director of SRON—the national expertise institute which advises the Dutch government and coordinates national contributions to international space missions.
