NASA's Webb Telescope Captures Stunning New Images of Exoplanet
Astronomers have uncovered a wealth of new information about exoplanets, planets outside our solar system, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Named LHS 475 b, the planet is located about 41 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Octans. It is a small, rocky world with a radius of about 99% that of Earth and a mass of about one Earth mass.
The Webb Telescope's observations allowed astronomers to measure the planet's temperature, which they found to be about 626 degrees Fahrenheit (330 degrees Celsius). This temperature is hot enough to melt lead, but much cooler than the surface of Venus, which is about 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius).
Astronomers also detected the presence of water vapor and carbon dioxide in LHS 475 b's atmosphere. This is the first time that water vapor has been detected in the atmosphere of an exoplanet that is not a gas giant.
The discovery of water and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of LHS 475 b is a significant step forward in the search for life beyond Earth. These molecules are essential for life as we know it and their presence suggests that LHS 475 b could be a habitable planet. Further studies are needed to determine if LHS 475 b has a solid surface and if it can support life.
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