Late Night with the Defenders returns to Defender Days
As part of this year’s Defender Days events, Late Night with the Defenders is set to return on Friday, October 17. Events will begin at 10 p.m. with doors opening at 9:30 p.m.
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Dr. Channon Visscher participates in JWST research on puzzling celestial “Accident”
A research team, including Professor of Chemistry and Planetary Sciences Dr. Channon Visscher, recently studied W1534, an unusual object 50 light-years away nicknamed “The Accident," gathering information about its atmosphere.
Dr. Channon Visscher, professor of chemistry and planetary sciences at Dordt University, was part of a research team studying W1534 (an object 50 light-years away also known as “The Accident”), primarily focused on a deeper understanding of its atmosphere.
Discovered five years ago, The Accident is a ball of gas that is distinct from planets and stars, also known as a brown dwarf. According to NASA, “The Accident is so faint and odd that researchers needed NASA’s most powerful space observatory, Webb, to study its atmosphere. Among several surprises, they found evidence of a molecule that they couldn’t initially identify. It turned out to be a simple silicon molecule called silane (SiH4). Researchers have long expected — but been unable — to find silane not only in our solar system’s gas giants, but also in the thousands of atmospheres belonging to brown dwarfs and to the gas giants around other stars. The Accident is the first such object where this molecule has been identified.”
Supported by an STScI grant through the Space Science Institute (SSI) and performed at Dordt University, Visscher’s research task was developing the chemical models to explore why the molecule is visible. “Under ‘normal’ circumstances – such as in Jupiter – this molecule would be removed by clouds deep in the atmosphere,” explains Visscher. “What we realized is that because of the unusual composition of W1534, some of its silane is mixed into the upper atmosphere before it can be removed by clouds.”
“Exploring these worlds not only deepens our understanding of our own Solar System but also gives us a sense of wonder at God’s vast and abundant cosmos.”
This study, according to Visscher, not only allowed the team to further investigate the unique characteristics of The Accident, but also to consider what these finding might reveal about other atmospheres. “The Accident lets us witness a chemical process that gives us a rare window into what we think is happening in the hidden depths of Jupiter’s atmosphere,” says Visscher.
As noted by NASA, “Brown dwarfs are often easier to study than gas giant exoplanets because the light from a faraway planet is typically drowned out by the star it orbits, while brown dwarfs generally fly solo. And the lessons scientists learn from these objects extend to all kinds of planets, including ones outside our solar system that might feature potential signs of habitability.”
While no signs of life have been identified on The Accident, this work should draw wonder at creation. “This and other JWST results emphasize the beauty and majesty of creation, and the rich diversity found across thousands of neighboring systems,” says Visscher. “Exploring these worlds not only deepens our understanding of our own Solar System but also gives us a sense of wonder at God’s vast and abundant cosmos.”
About Dordt University
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
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