For the first time, scientists have been able to analyze the atmosphere of a distant planet. The success could prove a milestone on the road toward finding life beyond our solar system.

Its atmosphere is stiflingly hot, with temperatures generally hovering around 800 degrees Celsius (1,470 degrees Fahrenheit) - in the shade. The air is filled with billowing clouds of highly toxic gas.

Anyone setting foot on this faraway planet would die a speedy death. Nevertheless, the recently launched study of HR 8799 c is a breakthrough in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Astronomers unveiled a groundbreaking achievement in the field of meteorology last week. By measuring the spectrum of light coming from HR 8799 c, they have managed to determine the chemical composition of its atmosphere. "For the first time, we have directly obtained the spectrum of a planet outside our solar system," says study co-author Wolfgang Brandner, of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany.