Overview

• Two studies posted as preprints in Astrophysical Journal Letters report direct-imaging evidence for a Saturn-mass, Jupiter-sized candidate orbiting within Alpha Centauri A’s habitable zone.
• Researchers used JWST’s mid-infrared coronagraph to block stellar glare and isolate the faint emission of the potential planet.
• Two follow-up searches with JWST in early 2025 failed to detect the object, consistent with its proposed elliptical orbit keeping it too close to the star for view.
• If confirmed, the planet would be the first exoplanet directly imaged around a Sun-analog star and become the nearest habitable-zone world to Earth.
• A decisive JWST observation is planned for August 2026 to verify the candidate’s existence and refine its orbital parameters.