Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Inbox Astronomy: Webb Reveals Steamy Atmosphere of Distant Planet in Exquisite Detail

INBOX ASTRONOMY

Webb Reveals Steamy Atmosphere of Distant Planet in Exquisite Detail

Release date: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 10:46:00 AM EDT

Webb Reveals Steamy Atmosphere of Distant Planet in Exquisite Detail



Webb's enormous mirror and precision instrumentation join forces to capture the most detailed spectrum of an exoplanet atmosphere to date

In a dream come true for exoplaneteers, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has demonstrated its unprecedented ability to analyze the atmosphere of a planet more than 1,000 light-years away. With the combined forces of its 270-square-foot mirror, precision spectrographs, and sensitive detectors, Webb has – in a single observation – revealed the unambiguous signature of water, indications of haze, and evidence for clouds that were thought not to exist based on prior observations. The transmission spectrum of the hot gas giant WASP-96 b, made using Webb's Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, provides just a glimpse into the brilliant future of exoplanet research with Webb.



Find additional articles, images, and videos at WebbTelescope.org



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