Another first for @nasawebb ✨
The space telescope captured the first clear evidence of carbon dioxide in a planet’s atmosphere outside of our solar system, ushering in a new era of exoplanet science.
This observation provides important information about the composition and formation of the planet. It also offers evidence that, in the future, Webb may be able to detect and measure CO2 in the thinner atmospheres of smaller, rocky planets.
The planet Webb analyzed - and that's shown above in an illustration - is known as WASP-39 b. It's a hot gas giant with a mass roughly the same as Saturn and a diameter 1.3 times greater than Jupiter’s. The planet’s extreme puffiness is related in part to its high temperature (about 1,600º Fahrenheit, or 900º Celsius). Previous observations from other space telescopes revealed the presence of water vapor, sodium, and potassium in WASP-39 b’s atmosphere.
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