![]() ![]() With JWST we were able to see changes in the planet’s brightness over the course of the observation, revealing new slices of the planet throughout its orbit,” Malsky said. ![]() “These new data are extraordinary, and in conjunction with simulations they inform our understanding that GJ 1214 b likely has a metal-enhanced atmosphere. University of Michigan graduate student Isaac Malsky, a co-author of the study, ran three-dimensional models for the planet, testing models with and without clouds and hazes, to see how these aerosols shape the thermal structure of the planet and help interpret the data. Known as a phase curve observation, this research method opened a new window into the planet’s atmosphere. As day turns to night, the amount of heat that shifts from one side of a planet to the other depends largely on what its atmosphere is made of. In their study, they measured the infrared light that GJ 1214b emitted over the course of about 40 hours-the time it takes the planet to orbit its star. Despite the murkiness of GJ 1214b’s atmosphere, the researchers determined the planet was still their best chance of observing a sub-Neptune’s atmosphere because of its bright but small host star. Sub-Neptunes are the most common type of planet in the Milky Way, though none exist in our solar system. But now, NASA’s new JWST has solved that issue. ![]() That had never before been seen for this planet or for any other planet of its class, so JWST is really delivering on its promise.” GJ 1214b, an exoplanet 40 light-years away from Earth, is swathed in a thick layer of haze that has shielded it from the probing eyes of space telescopes and stymying efforts to study its atmosphere. “When we received the data for this Nature paper, we could see the light from the planet just disappear when it went behind its host star. “I’ve been on a quest to understand GJ 1214b for more than a decade,” she said. Though GJ 1214b is far too hot to be habitable, researchers discovered that its atmosphere likely contains water vapor-possibly even significant amounts-and is primarily composed of molecules heavier than hydrogen.Įliza Kempton, associate professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland and lead author of the study, says the findings mark a turning point in the study of sub-Neptune planets like GJ 1214b. Their results, published in the journal Nature, represent the first time anyone has directly detected the light emitted by a sub-Neptune exoplanet-a category of planets that are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. Study: A reflective, metal-rich atmosphere for GJ 1214b from its JWST phase curveĪ team of researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Maryland used JWST to observe GJ 1214b’s atmosphere by measuring the heat it emits while orbiting its host star. The telescope’s infrared technology allows it to see planetary objects and features that were previously obscured by hazes, clouds or space dust, aiding astronomers in their search for habitable planets and early galaxies. Their biggest obstacle is a thick layer of haze that blankets the planet, shielding it from the probing eyes of space telescopes and stymying efforts to study its atmosphere. Hurt (IPAC)įor more than a decade, astronomers have been trying to get a closer look at GJ 1214b, an exoplanet 40 light-years away from Earth. U-M graduate student Isaac Malsky, a co-author of the study, ran three-dimensional models for the planet, testing models with and without clouds and hazes, to see how these aerosols shape the thermal structure of the planet and help interpret the data.
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