Venus transit 2004: Illustrating the capability of exoplanet transmission spectroscopy

Bibcode
2011A&A...533A.136H
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/201016237
Hedelt, P.; Alonso, R.; Brown, T.; Collados, M.; Rauer, H.; Schleicher, H.; Schmidt, W.; Schreier, F.; Titz, R.
Bibliographical reference

Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 533, id.A136

Advertised on:
9
2011
Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Number of authors
9
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
19
Refereed citations
16
Description
The transit of Venus in 2004 offered the rare possibility to remotely sense a well-known planetary atmosphere using ground-based absorption spectroscopy. Transmission spectra of Venus' atmosphere were obtained in the near infrared using the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) in Tenerife. Since the instrument was designed to measure the very bright photosphere of the Sun, extracting Venus' atmosphere was challenging. We were able to identify CO2 absorption lines in the upper Venus atmosphere. Moreover, the relative abundance of the three most abundant CO2 isotopologues could be determined. The observations resolved Venus' limb, showing Doppler-shifted absorption lines that are probably caused by high-altitude winds. We demonstrate the utility of ground-based measurements in analyzing the atmospheric constituents of a terrestrial planet atmosphere using methods that might be applied in future to terrestrial extrasolar planets.
Related projects
Project Image
Solar and Stellar Magnetism

Magnetic fields are at the base of star formation and stellar structure and evolution. When stars are born, magnetic fields brake the rotation during the collapse of the mollecular cloud. In the end of the life of a star, magnetic fields can play a key role in the form of the strong winds that lead to the last stages of stellar evolution. During

Tobías
Felipe García
In progress
Type
Refereed
Radiative transfer
Techniques
Solar Physics (FS)

It may interest you

  • Refereed
    Identification of the Top TESS Objects of Interest for Atmospheric Characterization of Transiting Exoplanets with JWST

    JWST has ushered in an era of unprecedented ability to characterize exoplanetary atmospheres. While there are over 5000 confirmed planets, more than 4000 Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planet candidates are still unconfirmed and many of the best planets for atmospheric characterization may remain to be identified. We present a sample

    Hord, Benjamin J. et al.

    Advertised on:

    5
    2024
    Bibcode
    2024AJ....167..233H
    Citations
    0
  • Refereed
    High-resolution Spectroscopic Reconnaissance of a Temperate Sub-Neptune

    The study of temperate sub-Neptunes is the new frontier in exoplanetary science. A major development in the past year has been the first detection of carbon-bearing molecules in the atmosphere of a temperate sub-Neptune, K2-18 b, a possible Hycean world, with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The JWST is poised to characterize the atmospheres

    Cabot, Samuel H. C. et al.

    Advertised on:

    5
    2024
    Bibcode
    2024ApJ...966L..10C
    Citations
    0
  • Refereed
    Nonlinear Wave Damping by Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability-induced Turbulence

    Magnetohydrodynamic kink waves naturally form as a consequence of perturbations to a structured medium, for example, transverse oscillations of coronal loops. Linear theory has provided many insights into the evolution of linear oscillations, and results from these models are often applied to infer information about the solar corona from observed

    Hillier, Andrew et al.

    Advertised on:

    5
    2024
    Bibcode
    2024ApJ...966...68H
    Citations
    0