How are new exoplanets discovered using the James Webb Telescope?

The James Webb Telescope helps find new exoplanets by acting like a super detective looking for clues in space.

Imagine you're trying to see a friend behind a curtain, they're not very bright, and the room is dark. That’s kind of what happens when scientists look for exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system. The James Webb Telescope shines its light on distant stars, like turning on a flashlight in that dark room.

When the telescope looks at a star, it sees if the star gets a little bit dimmer, just like your friend might peek out from behind the curtain and block some of the light. This dimming happens because a planet is passing in front of the star, like a tiny shadow.

The more times this dimming happens, the more scientists know there's probably a planet circling that star, kind of like how you’d know your friend was playing hide-and-seek if they peeked out several times!

Sometimes, the telescope can even see what the planet is made of by looking at the light that passes through its atmosphere, it’s like tasting the air when someone sneezes near you.