Tracking weather patterns on distant planets

Scientists say they can now track weather patterns found on far-away planets, starting with a nearby brown dwarf; this is basically a massive body not quite big enough to have become a star and located 20 light years away from Earth. Being relatively close, and a source of heat makes it a convenient study subject. The team at Trinity College Dublin have been able to watch the patterns of thermal radiation coming from the object change as it rotates, and map those onto models of how we think atmospheres, clouds and storms work in general. It’s a step towards being able to read the weather on remote worlds, helping us to home in, eventually, on the ones that might be habitable. Merle Schrader has been speaking with Chris Smith…