JWST captures stunning 3D view of a planet’s scorching atmosphere

Super Earth discovered where temperature during day is a scorching 725°C

Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to examine the surface of LHS 3844 b, a super-Earth 48.5 light-years away. The findings suggest a hot, basalt-rich world without an atmosphere, widening the picture of rocky exoplanets.

James Webb Space Telescope directly studies an exoplanet's surface for the 1st time: 'We see a dark, hot, barren rock'

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly analyzed the surface of a distant super-Earth, revealing a dark, airless, Mercury-like world.

JWST Spots a Nearby Super-Earth That Could Look Like the Moon or Mercury

Learn more about exoplanet LHS 3844 b, a rocky "Super-Earth" that's about 30 percent larger than our planet and could have a surface comparable to our moon or Mercury.

JWST captures stunning 3D view of a planet’s scorching atmosphere

A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create the first 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet. The fiery WASP-18b, a massive “ultra-hot Jupiter,” revealed striking temperature contrasts, including regions so hot they destroy water molecules. This pioneering eclipse mapping technique lets scientists visualize alien weather in unprecedented detail and could soon be applied to smaller, rocky planets.

JWST Has Revealed The Surface Composition Of A Rocky Planet 49 Light-Years Away

The fact it resembles the other inner planets more than Earth was somewhat expected, but the astonishing thing is that we can determine this at all.