NASA Detects Possible Volcanic Moon 635 Light-Years Away

The existence of exomoons (moons around planets outside our solar system) has long been theorized, but their detection has remained elusive due to their small size and faintness. A new study, however, suggests that a potential exomoon may be orbiting the WASP-49 b, a gas giant planet around another star (also known as an exoplanet). WASP-49 b is located 635 light-years from Earth. Its possible moon is believed to be rocky and volcanically active, similar to Jupiter's moon Io. The study's evidence centers on the detection of a sodium cloud near WASP-49 b that was discovered in 2017, and which shares characteristics with the gas emissions seen around Io. In the new study, scientists tracked the cloud’s motion and the data strongly indicate the presence of a separate orbiting body – an exomoon – as the source. While further observations are needed to confirm this exomoon's existence, current findings support its presence. If WASP-49 b indeed hosts a moon similar in size to Earth, it may face a violent fate, as gravitational forces from the exoplanet could eventually cause it to disintegrate. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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A rocky volcanic moon could be orbiting a planet more than 600 light-years from Earth. Exomoons or moons around planets outside our solar system are likely too small to see directly, but astronomers think volcanic exomoons could make themselves known by creating massive clouds of volcanic gas. A new study looked at a large sodium cloud discovered in 2017 near the exoplanet WASP-49b. Scientists found evidence that the cloud is not produced by the planet, or the star it orbits. Instead, the motion of the cloud suggests it originated from another object, possibly a volcanic exomoon.

To get to this conclusion, researchers used a telescope on Earth to observe the silhouettes of the cloud and the exoplanet as they passed in front of the star. In one observation, the researchers saw the sodium cloud moving faster than the planet and away from Earth. If the cloud was coming from the exoplanet, the scientists would expect it to move toward Earth. They think this means the cloud was coming from a different source, like an exomoon. Jupiter's moon Io also spews a volcanic cloud into space.

It pumps sodium, sulfur and other gases, cloud a massive cloud a thousand times wider than Jupiter. Io has volcanoes because Jupiter's gravity squeezes the moon's interior, heating it. Scientists think WASP-49b's gravitational squeezing is likely even more intense and may eventually cause its exomoon to disintegrate. While more observations are needed to confirm the existence of this exomoon, what researchers have found is promising.

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