James Webb Space Telescope Spotted Exoplanet For The First Time
The James Webb Space telescope spotted exoplanet for the first time! The discovered planet, known as LHS 475 b, lies outside our solar system and is nearly the same size as Earth. The Octans constellation is home to the rocky world, which is 41 light-years away.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuJan 12, 202325.6K Shares394.6K Views
The James Webb Space telescope spotted exoplanet for the first time! The discovered planet, known as LHS 475 b, lies outside our solar system and is nearly the same size as Earth. The Octans constellation is home to the rocky world, which is 41 light-years away.
Earlier information from NASA's TESS Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite hinted that the planet might exist.
Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, led by staff astronomer Kevin Stevenson and postdoctoral fellow Jacob Lustig-Yaeger, used Webb to observe the object. On two occasions, a dip in the light from a star showed that the planet had moved in front of its host star.
Before they discovered the exoplanet, Lustig-Yaeger was convinced that it existed and that Webb's pristine date would prove it. Even though this celestial body is small and rocky in structure, it appears magnificent when viewed through a telescope.
Moreover, Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, stated:
“„These first observational results from an Earth-sized, rocky planet open the door to many future possibilities for studying rocky planet atmospheres with Webb. Webb is bringing us closer and closer to a new understanding of Earth-like worlds outside the Solar System, and the mission is only just getting started.- Mark Clampin, Astrophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington
The existence of the planet was made public on Wednesday at the 241st American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle. Astronomers will do more research on the planet's possible atmosphere during the summer when they can make more observations.
Webb's assessments also showed that this planet is a hundred degrees hotter than Earth's temperature. If the scientists find clouds on LHS 475 b, it might be more like Venus, which has a carbon dioxide atmosphere and is thought to be Earth's hotter twin.
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What Is An Exosplanet?
LHS 475 b, which was discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope, is an exoplanet outside of our solar system and is almost as big as Earth. What exactly is an exoplanet, and how might we locate Earth-like planets in other solar systems? In our solar system, every planet revolves around the sun.
Exoplanets are planets that revolve around other stars. Exoplanets are extremely difficult to directly observe using telescopes. The intense light from the stars they orbit obscures them.
Therefore, astronomers employ various techniques to find and research these far-off planets. By observing the impacts that these planets have on the stars they circle, astronomers look for exoplanets. Finding "wobbly" stars is one approach to looking for exoplanets.
A planet-bearing star's orbit around its core is not a complete circle. From a distance, the star appears to be swaying due to its eccentric orbit.
This technique has led to the discovery of hundreds of planets. Only massive planets, like Jupiteror even larger ones, can be viewed in this fashion, though. Because they produce only minute wobbles that are difficult to detect, smaller Earth-like planets are tougher to identify.
However, how can we discover planets like Earth in other solar systems? NASA launched the Kepler spacecraft in 2009 to search for exoplanets.
Kepler searched for planets with a variety of sizes and trajectories. Additionally, these planets circled variously sized and hot stars. Some of the planets identified by Kepler are rocky planets located at an unusually close distance from their star. This sweet area is known as the habitable zone, and it is where lifemay be feasible.
The transit method was used by Kepler to detect exoplanets. A transit is when a planet passes in front of its star.
As the planet passes in front of the star, it blocks some of its light. That means that when the planet passes in front of a star, it will appear slightly less luminous. During a transit, astronomers can see how the brightness of the star varies. This will aid them in determining the size of the planet.
Final Words
Webb is the only telescope that can study the atmospheres of exoplanets that are about the same size as Earth. The team tried to figure out what was in the atmosphere of the planet by looking at its transmission spectrum. Even though the data show that this is a land-based planet about the same size as Earth, no one knows yet if it has an atmosphere.
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory said:
“„The telescope is so sensitive that it can easily detect a range of molecules, but we can’t yet draw any definitive conclusions about the planet’s atmosphere- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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