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JWST Achieves First Direct Imaging of Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet Atmospheres

The telescope's breakthrough observations of the HR 8799 system confirm gas giant formation through core accretion and open new doors for exoplanetary research.

Image
An image about NASA confirms detection of carbon, oxygen, and iron within nearby planet atmospheres
The powerful James Webb Space Telescope is revealing the hidden complexities of exoplanets like never before.
A conception of the James Webb Space Telescope orbiting 1 million miles from Earth.

Overview

  • The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has directly imaged carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of four gas giant exoplanets in the HR 8799 system, located 130 light-years away.
  • This marks the first time an exoplanet's atmospheric composition has been directly analyzed, surpassing earlier indirect detection methods.
  • The findings provide strong evidence that the HR 8799 planets formed through core accretion, a process similar to the one that created Jupiter and Saturn in our solar system.
  • JWST's coronagraph technology enabled the observations by blocking the host star's light, revealing detailed atmospheric data and detecting the innermost planet, HR 8799 e, at a wavelength of 4.6 micrometers.
  • Researchers plan to use JWST for further studies to refine planetary formation models and explore additional exoplanetary systems.