Scientists discover exoplanet that smells like rotten eggs

Scientists have found hydrogen sulfide on an exoplanet
This is the first time hydrogen sulfide has been found outside our solar system
The planet is 64 light years from Earth

Updated: Jul 9, 2024 / 03:16 PM CDT

FILE – In this photo provided by NASA, technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope using a crane, April 13, 2017, at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Astronomers have discovered the most distant black hole yet using the Webb Space Telescope, but that record isn’t expected to last. Webb already has spotted other black holes that appear to be even more distant, but those findings are still under review. (Laura Betz/NASA via AP, File)

(NewsNation) — Scientists are studying a Jupiter-like exoplanet that smells like rotten eggs, has sideways rain of glass-like particles and has a temperature of 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a report in the scientific journal Nature.

Scientists studied the planet, called HD 189733 b, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Studying the planet is the first time that hydrogen sulfide has been detected on an exoplanet, meaning it is outside our solar system.

Hydrogen sulfide is a flammable poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs. It is also usually an indicator that planets may be home to alien organisms, but according to the report, scientists aren’t searching for alien life here because the planet is a gas giant, and too hot.

According to NASA, HD 189733 b is located about 64 light years from Earth and is in the constellation Vulpecula. It is cobalt blue and was discovered in 2005.