Particle.news
Download on the App Store
8 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Webb Telescope Captures First Direct Images of Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet Atmospheres

The discovery in the HR 8799 system confirms the gas giants formed via core accretion and showcases Webb's advanced imaging capabilities.

Image
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.
(Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Leah Hustak (STScI)).

Overview

  • The James Webb Space Telescope directly imaged carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of the four gas giant planets in the HR 8799 system, located 130 light-years away.
  • This marks the first detection of carbon dioxide via direct imaging, advancing beyond earlier methods that inferred atmospheric composition from starlight.
  • The findings support the core accretion model of planetary formation, suggesting the gas giants formed similarly to Jupiter and Saturn in our solar system.
  • Webb's coronagraph technology enabled these observations by blocking light from the host star, revealing detailed atmospheric data at specific infrared wavelengths.
  • The study highlights the potential for further Webb observations to refine planetary formation models and explore the impact of gas giants on smaller, potentially habitable planets.