James Webb Telescope Spots New Gas Giant Planet

In addition to providing a trove of information about the early universe, the James Webb Space Telescope has obtained valuable data on exoplanets since its 2021 launch. Recently, Webb discovered a young gas giant planet, similar in size to Saturn, orbiting a star about 110 light-years away in the constellation Antlia. This marks the first time Webb has directly imaged an exoplanet not previously known.

Most exoplanets discovered have been detected using indirect methods, but less than 2% have been directly imaged like the newly identified planet. Despite being large compared to our solar system, this planet is the least massive ever discovered through direct imaging, showcasing the sensitivity of Webb's instruments.

The discovery was made using a French-produced coronagraph on Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument. This breakthrough opens new possibilities for exploring the diversity of exoplanetary systems and understanding their formation and evolution.

The planet orbits a young star, TWA 7, at a distance much greater than Earth's distance from the sun. The researchers observed the structure of the protoplanetary disk around the star, revealing concentric ring-like structures and a narrow ring where the planet is located.

While the planet's atmosphere composition and mass accumulation are still unknown, future Webb observations may provide answers. Despite its capabilities, Webb is unable to directly image Earth-sized exoplanets, but astronomers remain hopeful for future projects in the search for life beyond our solar system.

According to the source: CNBC TV18.