Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a “fluffy” planet with an atmosphere made up of a collection of intriguing materials. The planet has a similar water and cloud cycle to that of our own Earth. But the clouds are made of sand and the clouds are made of silicate. Other parts of the atmosphere are more like our own and could be an intriguing hint of the telescope’s ability to investigate planets that might be home to distant alien life. Data gathered using the telescope revealed that WASP-107b - a planet 200 lightyears away that orbits a star in the constellation of Virgo - has a dynamic atmosphere made up of water vapour, sulphur dioxide, and sand clouds. Scientists say this exoplanet - a planet outside the Solar System - has a cloud cycle similar to Earth, except the droplets are made of sand instead of water vapour. While clouds have been inferred on other exoplanets, the researchers said their work, published in the journal Nature, is the first instance where astronomers have been able to identify the chemical composition of clouds in a distant planet. Study author Dr Achrene Dyrek, an astronomer at CEA - a French government-funded research organisation in Paris, said: “JWST enables a deep atmospheric characterisation of an exoplanet that does not have any counterpart in our Solar System, we are unravelling new worlds!” European astronomers used JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to peer deep into WASP-107b’s atmosphere. WASP-107b is just a little smaller than Jupiter but its mass is less than 10% of the gas giant. This makes it one of the lowest density exoplanets known, thus earning the label “fluffy” - like candyfloss. The fluffiness of this exoplanet allowed astronomers to look much deeper into the atmosphere - roughly 50 times deeper compared to Jupiter - revealing its complex chemical composition. While the team found the presence of water vapour, SO2, and silicate clouds, they said the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) was notably absent, hinting at “a potentially warm interior”. Just like clouds on Earth, the sand clouds high in WASP-107b’s atmosphere undergo a continuous cycle of sublimation and condensation. Study author Dr Michiel Min, a senior scientist at the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, said: “The fact that we see these sand clouds high up in the atmosphere must mean that the sand rain droplets evaporate in deeper, very hot layers and the resulting silicate vapour is efficiently moved back up, where they recondense to form silicate clouds once more. “This is very similar to the water vapour and cloud cycle on our own Earth but with droplets made of sand.” The researchers said their work marks “a significant milestone” in understanding more about the climatic conditions of other exotic worlds. Study author Professor Leen Decin, of KU Leuven in Belgium, said: “The discovery of clouds of sand, water, and sulphur dioxide on this fluffy exoplanet by JWST’s MIRI instrument is a pivotal milestone. “It reshapes our understanding of planetary formation and evolution, shedding new light on our own Solar System.” Additional reporting by agencies Read More Robot hand with bones, ligaments and tendons 3D printed in world first Ring to preview security features with abuse charity to boost safety WhatsApp users warned they will soon have to pay to keep old messages and photos Robot hand with bones, ligaments and tendons 3D printed in world first Ring to preview security features with abuse charity to boost safety WhatsApp users warned they will soon have to pay to keep old messages and photos

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Miriam Margolyes is widely considered to be a national treasure, so no doubt fans would love to see her on popular TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! But you won't catch the Harry Potter actor on those programmes as the famously outspoken Margolyes explains why she has knocked back these opportunities. During an appearance as a guest on Waitrose’s Dish podcast to promote her new memoir Oh Miriam: Stories from an Extraordinary Life, the 82-year-old admitted she agreed to the book because "they offered me a lot of money." "That’s true, that’s absolutely true,” she said. “When you’re old and you know that your earning potential is diminishing, you’ve got to get the money while you can.” Margolyes added: "I won’t do that, what do you call it? The dancing thing..." She was referring to BBC's popular dance show Strictly Come Dancing, and was asked by co-presenter Angela Hartnett if she's ever been asked to join the lineup. "Yeah, they must have been f***ing nuts," Margolyes replied and also revealed that she had been offered to go on I'm a Celebrity as well but similarly turned it down. “And they asked me to go in the jungle,” she said, causing co-host Nick Grimshaw to ask: “Was that a hard no?” “I’ve got class, love,” Margolyes said. “I’m not doing that.” It's not the first time Margolyes has said she's declined to go into the Australian jungle, as she shared her candid views on The Graham Norton Show. “Are you kidding? I’m not a whore!" she replied bluntly when asked by Norton if she's considered ever going on the ITV show. While Margolyes may not go on these shows, she has made iconic appearances on daytime shows such as This Morning. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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