UNDATED (WKRC) – NASA’s James Webb space telescope has already given us multiple different glimpses into the many mysteries surrounding our universe, and now it’s made another important discovery.
For the first time ever, the James Webb telescope has detected methane in an exoplanet’s atmosphere.
This isn’t the first major discovery the telescope has made on an exoplanet before. Previously, the telescope was already able to detect both carbon dioxide and water vapor on distant exoplanets.
But in the case of methane, it was just discovered on the distant exoplanet named “WASP-80 b,” which is what astronomers call a “warm Jupiter.”
What the term means is that the planet is large like Jupiter, but its surface temperature averages around 825 kelvins or roughly 1,025 Fahrenheit. This would fall midway between what astronomers call “hot Jupiter” and “cold Jupiter.”
This discovery further proves that the James Webb telescope is one of the most powerful pieces of space technology that humans have ever created. Not only is it able to observe distant planets, but it can even detect different gases within their atmosphere. This could be massive in terms of studying both our planet’s history and the universe’s.
In the past, these studies have been incredibly difficult due to the massive distance between us and these planets. So instead of actively exploring the planets, we’ve had to rely on transitory methods. These methods rely on studying the way that light moves throughout the planet. By using this method, we’ve already discovered tons of exoplanets, and we might even be able to use it to discover whether or not these planets could have a chance at holding life.
WASP-80 b is about 163 light years away from Earth in the constellation Aquila. It orbits a red dwarf star about once every three days. Even with the most powerful telescope it’s impossible for us to directly see the planet as it’s both too close to its own star and too far away from us.
Dr. Sarah Adams is a scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to all. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
