Alien-Hunting Telescope Discovers Hidden Exoplanet Missed by Scientists

The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered its first-ever exoplanet, a distant world hidden by the glare of its nearest star. The newly discovered exoplanet, named TWA 7 b, is in the debris disk of a young star. The telescope, launched in 2021, is now over 1 million miles away from Earth. TWA 7 b is similar in size to Saturn but is one of the lightest planets ever detected. The telescope's advanced technology allows scientists to capture images of less massive planets, making it a significant breakthrough in alien-hunting.

A French-produced coronagraph onboard the JWST made this discovery possible by blocking the star's light to reveal nearby planets. The debris disk surrounding TWA 7's star is very clear, forming a near-perfect disk where the exoplanet is nearly completely obscured by the star's brightness. This discovery sheds light on the formation of solar systems and helps astronomers understand more about our universe.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a space-based observatory designed to complement the Hubble Space Telescope's discoveries. Launched on December 25, 2021, it operates in the infrared spectrum, allowing it to observe fainter objects at greater distances. Positioned at the second Lagrange point, approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, the telescope's scientific goals include studying star and planet formation, galaxy evolution, and the potential for life beyond Earth.