Webb lifts veil on common but mysterious type of exoplanet

James Webb Space Telescope finds water in the air of exotic 'sub-Neptune' exoplanet

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has found water vapor swirling in the air of a distant, boiling-hot alien planet, a new study reports.

The Most Common Type of Exoplanet Was Difficult To Observe Until the JWST Came Along

The idea that our Solar System is representative of other solar systems hasn't survived the age of exoplanet discovery. Kepler and TESS have shown us that our system doesn't even contain the most common type of planet: sub-Neptunes. These planets pose a mystery to planetary scientists, and the JWST is helping unravel the mystery.

Webb lifts veil on common but mysterious type of exoplanet

Though they don't orbit around our sun, sub-Neptunes are the most common type of exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, that have been observed in our galaxy. These small, gassy planets are shrouded in mystery…and often, a lot of haze. Now, by observing exoplanet TOI-421 b, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is helping scientists understand sub-Neptunes in a way that was not possible prior to the telescope's launch.

Hot sub-Neptune Exoplanet TOI-421 b NIRISS/NIRSpec Transmission Spectrum - Astrobiology

This is a transmission spectrum captured by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope that reveals the presence of water (H2O) and the possible presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), but no signs of carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4), in the atmosphere of the hot sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b. The observations support […] The post Hot sub-Neptune Exoplanet TOI-421 b NIRISS/NIRSpec Transmission Spectrum appeared first o…

Webb Reveals the Atmospheric Structure of Sub-Neptune TOI

Subneptin is a type of exoplanet characterized by high birth discharge thrombosis and lacks analogs within our solar system. Significantly smaller than gas giants, and typically cooler than Hot Jupiter exoplanets, these worlds were notably challenging to study before the launch of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. Many subneptins are obscured by thick clouds [...] Source The post Webb Reveals the Atmospheric Structure of Sub-Neptune T…

Webb Determines Atmospheric Makeup of Sub-Neptune TOI

Astronomers using Webb have captured the transmission spectrum of the sub-Neptune TOI-421b and uncovered the chemical fingerprints of its atmosphere. The post Webb Determines Atmospheric Makeup of Sub-Neptune TOI-421b appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.