Try imagining a wind 20 times faster than anything ever seen or recorded here on earth, including at the heart and center of a hurricane.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, scientists insist they don't have to imagine, because they've actually witnessed such conditions from air discovered on exoplanet HD 189733b. Astronomers report they've clocked wind speeds of as high as 5,400 mph on that planet, or easily 20 times the speed of the highest winds this environment has ever known.

"This is the first ever weather map from outside of our solar system," said lead researcher Tom Louden, an astrophysicist at the University of Warwick. "Whilst we have previously known of wind on exoplanets, we have never before been able to directly measure and map a weather system."

Researchers used HARPS, otherwise known as High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searchers, across Chile to watch and monitor the planet, located far outside of Earth's solar system.

Researchers then measured speed by viewing wavelengths for atmospheric sodium. Explained Louden, "As parts of HD 189733b's atmosphere move towards or away from the Earth, the Doppler effect changes the wavelength of this feature, which allows the velocity to be measured."

To date, the fastest wind gusts ever recorded here on Earth came nearly 20 years ago, when Tropical Cyclone Olivia hit bringing wind speeds of 253 mph.

Researchers add HD 189733b is nearly 63 light years from our solar system, and is one of a bizarre class of planets called known as Hot Jupiters.

"As we develop the technique further, we will be able to study wind flows in increasing detail and make weather maps of smaller planets," explained study coauthor Peter Wheatley. "Ultimately this technique will allow us to image the weather systems on Earth-like planets."