Overview
- A Nature Astronomy paper published October 28 details the first validated three‑dimensional temperature map of an exoplanet, with an accompanying arXiv preprint.
- The team reanalyzed multi‑wavelength JWST NIRISS data to perform spectroscopic eclipse mapping, resolving atmospheric structure in latitude, longitude, and altitude.
- The dayside shows a concentrated hotspot at the substellar point and a cooler ring near the limbs, indicating limited heat redistribution by winds.
- Spectra indicate lower water vapor in the hottest region than the planet’s average, consistent with thermal dissociation of water molecules.
- The mapping reveals weaker longitudinal temperature gradients than some models predicted and establishes a technique that can be refined with further JWST observations and applied to many hot Jupiters.