Summary: If you thought meteorologists on Earth had it hard, check out what these NASA scientists have decided to tackle. They have recently mapped the clouds of the planet Kepler-7b almost 1,000 light years away. By using low-res images from Spitzer and Kepler they were able to compile a map of sorts. It was determined that the clear-reflective signature seen on parts of the images would be clouds. One of the interesting finds is that this planet seems to have a very stable climate with very little change over time.
This marks the beginning of a new era of exoplanetary study. No longer are we simply finding them and adding them to our list with a few details such as size, mass, and distance from their sun. We are now beginning to understand the planet itself.
BBC News
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