Overview

• TWA7b is a gas giant about 0.3 times the mass of Jupiter that orbits the 6.4-million-year-old star TWA7 at roughly 52 astronomical units.
• The image was obtained with Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) using a French-produced coronagraph that suppresses the star’s glare.
• Observations show TWA7 surrounded by three concentric dust and debris rings, with TWA7b located within a narrow gap sculpted by the planet.
• At ten times lower mass than previous direct imaging targets, TWA7b is the lightest exoplanet ever directly observed by a telescope.
• This milestone expands Webb’s entry into imaging smaller, colder exoplanets, outlining prospects for future searches for Earth-sized worlds.