James Webb Telescope Photos Reveal Details of Distant Exoplanets

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.

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On July 12, NASA released the first images captured by Webb since the telescope was launched in December.

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On July 12, NASA released the first images captured by Webb since the telescope was launched in December.

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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.

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Researchers have detected what they believe is the presence of water vapor, which is crucial for sustaining life as we know it.

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However, the data collected through Webb also suggests a blazing atmospheric temperature of 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit.

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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."