A distant world with sand clouds

There are clouds on Earth made of water droplets or ice crystals. But did you know that some distant worlds have clouds made of sand? Researchers have observed

Even though we live on a planet with water ice clouds, other planets have clouds made up of water ice. For example, Mars has water ice clouds, and carbon dioxide clouds. Ammonia and ammonium hydrosulfide clouds form high-altitude clouds on Jupiter.

It's the same for all clouds. Water vapor clouds are formed on Earth when ice particles vaporize, whereas clouds on other planets, such as Mars and Jupiter, can be made out of a variety of ingredients, such as ammonia, salt, or sulfur.

In addition to brown dwarfs, this study provides clues about cloud formation on exoplanets and planets with similar temperatures, mass, and sizes to Earth.

Despite not being planets, brown dwarfs have atmospheres similar to those on some gas giants. This allows scientists to gain insights into gas giant atmospheres.

Using the now-operating Webb telescope, astronomers will have a better chance of seeing brown dwarfs with silicate clouds as Spitzer established.

It builds on previous research, with new data. Researchers selected over 100 marginal silicate cloud detections and grouped them according to the brown dwarf's temperature.

There was already a range of temperatures predicted by astronomers for silicate clouds to form on brown dwarfs, ranging from 1,900 degrees Fahrenheit to 3,100 degrees Celsius.

Silicates evaporate in hotter atmospheres, but they turn into rain in colder atmospheres or sink into lower atmospheres.

In addition, the study may be related to Jupiter. Jupiter has clouds made of ammonium hydrosulfide and ammonia, but it may also have silicate clouds, just like brown dwarfs.

A scientist theorizes they might be found deeper in the giant planet's thick atmosphere because that is where it's hot enough for them to form. Our view of the top of the atmosphere is too cold to support them.