astronomy
NASA’s Webb Telescope discovers “mini-Neptune” planet GJ 1214 b
JWST sheds new light on GJ 1214b, a puzzling planet that’s surprisingly shiny despite being less hot & bigger than Earth.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has made an exciting discovery – the closest look yet at a mysterious, “mini-Neptune” planet outside our solar system. The planet, called GJ 1214 b, has a steamy atmosphere and is highly reflective, making it difficult to see through conventional observation methods. However, the Webb telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) was able to capture a “heat map” of the planet as it orbited its host star, revealing the atmosphere’s composition and distribution of heat.
The planet’s atmosphere is likely made up of heavier molecules, such as water or methane, rather than lighter hydrogen molecules, indicating that it may have lost a lot of hydrogen or was formed from icy, water-rich material. Despite its hot temperature, the planet is cooler than expected because its reflective atmosphere reflects a large fraction of the light from its parent star.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)
This discovery could provide important clues to the formation and history of mini-Neptunes, which are the most common type of planet in the galaxy but remain shrouded in mystery because they do not exist in our solar system. The observations made by the Webb telescope could open the door to deeper knowledge of these planets and perhaps even the possibility of discovering water-rich “water world” planets like GJ 1214 b. This exciting discovery is a testament to the power of advanced observation technology and the ongoing exploration of our universe.
Read more at NASA.gov: NASA’s Webb Takes Closest Look Yet at Mysterious Planet
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