James Webb Telescope, Photos Reveal Details , of Distant Exoplanets.
'Newsweek' reports that NASA's new James Webb Space Telescope has already showcased its ability to detect atmospheric gases on distant planets.
That ability will play a crucial
role in the search for life
elsewhere in the universe. .
On July 12, NASA released the first images
captured by Webb since the telescope
was launched in December. .
On July 12, NASA released the first images
captured by Webb since the telescope
was launched in December. .
The image set contained a snapshot of WASP-96 b, an exoplanet that orbits a star approximately
1,150 light-years away in the Phoenix constellation.
The image of WASP-96 b is
the most detailed of its kind.
A technique known as transit spectroscopy allows scientists to determine what other planets' atmospheres are made of, as well as those planets' temperatures. .
Researchers have detected what they
believe is the presence of water vapor, which
is crucial for sustaining life as we know it. .
However, the data collected through Webb
also suggests a blazing atmospheric
temperature of 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit. .
So yes, you can do science with the pretty pictures, but often it's the spectra that really let us tell the story, Jonathan McDowell, Harvard astronomer, via 'Newsweek'.
According to a NASA press release, the WASP-96 b data , "demonstrates that Webb has the power to characterize
the atmospheres of exoplanets—including those
of potentially habitable planets—in exquisite detail.".
According to a NASA press release, the WASP-96 b data , "demonstrates that Webb has the power to characterize
the atmospheres of exoplanets—including those
of potentially habitable planets—in exquisite detail."