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.
#Webb#exoplanets#universe#CarbonDioxide#science#research#data#NASA#JPL
Our unseen universe 🤩
Gaze at these full-color images from @NASAWebb. This set of images and spectroscopic data from the #space#telescope uncover a collection of features elusive to us until now. They also show the full capabilities of all four instruments on Webb, including the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which #JPL manages for #NASA.
Swipe right to see them all:
- Carina Nebula: These “cosmic cliffs” in the Carina Nebula unveil the earliest, rapid phases of star formation that were previously hidden. Looking at this star-forming region in the southern constellation Carina, Webb can see newly forming stars and study the gas and dust that made them.
- Southern Ring Nebula: This planetary #nebula, an expanding cloud of gas that surrounds a dying #star, is approximately 2,000 light-years away. Here, Webb’s powerful #infrared eyes bring a second dying star into full view for the first time.
- Stephan’s Quintet: Webb’s view of this compact group of #galaxies that are located in the #constellation Pegasus pierced through the dust surrounding the center of one galaxy to reveal the velocity and composition of the gas near its supermassive black hole.
- SMACS 0723: The deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe so far – and captured in only 12.5 hours. This color composite of multiple exposures each at about two hours long is the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length.
- WASP-96b: A detailed observation of this hot, puffy #planet outside our #SolarSystm reveals the clear signature of water, along with evidence of haze and clouds that previous studies of this planet didn’t detect.
Webb’s first observations tell the story of the hidden #universe through every phase of cosmic history – from neighboring #exoplanets to the most distance galaxies. These images were selected by a group of representatives from @nasa, the @europeanspaceagency, the @canadianspaceagency, and the @space_telescopes.
Over 5,000 planets have been discovered beyond our solar system—and we're inviting you on a guided tour.
Though we can't see these planets up close, we can use info from missions like @NASAHubble and (soon) @NASAWebb to envision what it would look like to visit these worlds in person.
Stop by our Exoplanets Travel Bureau for tours, 360-degree surface simulations, and free posters of some of the most exotic destinations in the galaxy. Available in both English and Spanish courtesy of @NASA_es: exoplanets.nasa.gov/travel
• Poster 1: Exoplanet 55 Cancri e, 41 light-years away
• Poster 2: PSO J318.5-22, a wandering exoplanet with no star
• Poster 3: Kepler-16b, a gas giant orbiting a pair of stars
• Poster 4: HD 40307 g, twice as big in volume as Earth
• Poster 5: 51 Pegasi b, a planet half the mass of Jupiter, orbiting its host star every 4.2 Earth days
• Poster 6: Kepler-186f, the first Earth-size planet discovered in the potentially 'habitable zone' around another star
• Poster 7: The TRAPPIST-1e system, seven rocky worlds orbiting a star
📎 exoplanets.nasa.gov/travel
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
#Exoplanets ##ExoTourism#Tourism#Planets#Otherworldly#Travel#Space#NASA