Astronomers determine the structure and composition of clouds on a 'hot Jupiter' exoplanet

(Phys.org)--HD 189733b, located some 64 light years away, is the closest "hot Jupiter" exoplanet to Earth. Thanks to its proximity, it is a great target for atmospheric observations. Now, an international team of astronomers has presented a model of the planet's chemically complex gaseous layer, unveiling the structure and composition of mineral clouds in the atmosphere. The study was published Mar. 30 in a paper on the arXiv pre-print server.