Rare Terbium Found in Atmosphere of Hottest Exoplanet in Galaxy

Lund University researchers have discovered the rare metal terbium in the atmosphere of KELT-9 b, the galaxy’s hottest exoplanet, using a new analysis method. The discovery of terbium in an exoplanet’s atmosphere is surprising as it is a rare earth metal that belongs to the lanthanoids. The researchers' advanced measurement method has opened up the possibility of finding out more about the atmospheres of other exoplanets, potentially leading to insights on exoplanets’ ages, formation, and the possibility of Earth-like planets.