The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered some amazing exoplanets and even found out what their atmospheres are made of, like a detective solving a mystery.
Imagine you have a toy box full of different toys, each one is a planet far away from us. The JWST is like a super-detailed magnifying glass that helps scientists look at these planets and see what's in their air, just like seeing if there are blocks or balls inside the toy box.
Finding New Planets
The JWST found some exoplanets, which are planets that circle stars other than our Sun. One of them is called WASP-39 b, it’s a hot planet with a lot of sodium and potassium in its air, kind of like how you might find salt and pepper on a kitchen table.
Looking at Atmospheres
The JWST also found that some planets have water vapor, which is the same stuff you see when you breathe out on a cold day, it’s like having a tiny cloud around your face!
By looking at how light from the star passes through the planet's air, scientists can tell what's in it. It's like shining a flashlight through a glass of colored water and seeing what colors come out, each color tells you something about the water inside!
Examples
- The telescope saw a planet with thick layers of carbon dioxide.
- It found that some exoplanets have water vapor in the air.
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See also
- Did JWST find a MARKER OF LIFE in an exoplanet atmosphere?
- How do scientists discover exoplanets?
- How are scientists finding new exoplanets in distant galaxies?
- How does AI assist in the discovery of new exoplanets?
- How do scientists search for and confirm the existence of exoplanets?