{"id":35977,"date":"2022-08-31T12:05:31","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T12:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=111611"},"modified":"2022-08-31T12:24:10","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T12:24:10","slug":"webb-telescope-makes-first-detection-of-co2-at-exoplanet","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/webb-telescope-makes-first-detection-of-co2-at-exoplanet\/","title":{"rendered":"Webb Telescope makes first detection of CO2 at exoplanet\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Ezzy Pearson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 31 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Carbon dioxide has been sniffed out for the first time in the atmosphere of a world beyond our Solar System by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The gas is a key tool in understanding how planets grow and evolve, and is a potential biomarker that could point the way to finding life on other worlds.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The discovery was made at exoplanet<\/a> WASP-39b, a gas giant 700 lightyears from Earth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The planet is 1.3 times the diameter of Jupiter<\/a>, but only a quarter of its mass.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more on the science, read our guide to how James Webb Space Telescope will observe exoplanets<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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A transmission spectrum of exoplanet WASP-39 b captured by James Webb Space Telescope shows definitive evidence for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet outside the Solar System.Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and L. Hustak (STScI). Science: The JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Team<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

It\u2019s atmosphere has been greatly puffed up as it is extremely close to its star, meaning the atmosphere is superheated to around 900\u00baC.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the planet passes in front of its star, some of the starlight we see passes through its atmosphere, and interacts with the chemicals in the air.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This leaves behind a signature in the light. It\u2019s only a tiny change, but JWST is sensitive enough to be able to see it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as the data appeared on my screen, the whopping carbon dioxide feature grabbed me,\u201d says Zafar Rustamkulov, from the Johns Hopkins University who helped with the study.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a special moment, crossing an important threshold in exoplanet science.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

JWST is the first telescope that\u2019s able to look at the right wavelengths of light (3 to 5.5 microns) to pick out the signature of water, methane and carbon dioxide \u2013 all of which are vital to understanding how planet\u2019s grow and evolve over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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