JWST captures stunning 3D view of a planet’s scorching atmosphere
The new technique reveals a hot spot where water vapor breaks apart and a cooler ring around it, researchers said.
- Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have created the first 3D temperature map of WASP-18b, an ultra-hot Jupiter revealing distinct regions so hot they destroy water molecules.
- The team utilized a pioneering method known as 3D eclipse mapping to visualize alien weather in unprecedented detail, probing the planet's atmosphere across latitude, longitude, and altitude simultaneously.
- Measurements revealed a circular hot spot where winds fail to spread heat efficiently, with cooler surrounding regions containing higher water vapor levels than the planet's intense center.
- In a separate study published Monday, May 4, researchers applied similar JWST sensitivity to map the rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b, confirming it lacks an atmosphere and resembles Mercury.
- Scientists believe these direct interpretations of distant planetary surfaces mark the next step in unveiling exoplanet nature, with the technique potentially applicable to smaller, rocky worlds.
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13 Articles
Super Earth discovered where temperature during day is a scorching 725°C
Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to examine the surface of LHS 3844 b, a super-Earth 48.5 light-years away. The findings suggest a hot, basalt-rich world without an atmosphere, widening the picture of rocky exoplanets.
James Webb Space Telescope directly studies an exoplanet's surface for the 1st time: 'We see a dark, hot, barren rock'
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly analyzed the surface of a distant super-Earth, revealing a dark, airless, Mercury-like world.
JWST captures stunning 3D view of a planet’s scorching atmosphere
A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create the first 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet. The fiery WASP-18b, a massive “ultra-hot Jupiter,” revealed striking temperature contrasts, including regions so hot they destroy water molecules. This pioneering eclipse mapping technique lets scientists visualize alien weather in unprecedented detail and could soon be applied to smaller, rocky planets.
"LHS 3844 b" is a rock planet without an atmosphere. Observations on its surface show details reminiscent of a known planet.
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