First evidence for water ice clouds found outside our solar system

[n2doc]

A team of scientists led by Carnegie's Jacqueline Faherty has discovered the first evidence of water ice clouds on an object outside of our own Solar System. Water ice clouds exist on our own gas giant planets -- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune -- but have not been seen outside of the planets orbiting our Sun until now.

Their findings are published today by The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

At the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, Faherty, along with a team including Carnegie's Andrew Monson, used the FourStar near infrared camera to detect the coldest brown dwarf ever characterized. Their findings are the result of 151 images taken over three nights and combined. The object, named WISE J085510.83-071442.5, or W0855, was first seen by NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Explorer mission and published earlier this year. But it was not known if it could be detected by Earth-based facilities.

"This was a battle at the telescope to get the detection," said Faherty.

more
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140909110754.htm

[progressoid]

1. Good.

Now I don't have to worry about aliens coming to take our water.

[Warpy]

2. Water might be viewed as a nasty, corrosive nuisance on other worlds

unless it is cold enough that it exists as a useful metal with a low melting point.