JWST detects water vapor and carbon dioxide in exoplanet WASP-39b
Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope and other infrared observatories identified chemical signatures of water vapor (H₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP‑39b. The gas giant lies roughly 700 light‑years from Earth, completes an orbit around its Sun‑like star in about four Earth days, and has an atmospheric temperature near 900 °C.
The detection was achieved through transmission spectroscopy, where starlight filtered through the planet’s atmosphere reveals characteristic absorption lines for each molecule. Scientists say the results provide a new laboratory for studying planetary composition and advance the search for potentially habitable worlds.
Entities: James Webb Space Telescope · WASP‑39b
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The James Webb Space Telescope detected clear signatures of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP‑39b. (observations)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The James Webb Space Telescope confirmed the presence of water vapor (H₂O) in the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP‑39b. (observations)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The detections were made using transmission spectroscopy, analyzing starlight that passes through the planet’s atmosphere. (methodology)
- [● 3 SOURCES] WASP‑39b is a gas giant located about 700 light‑years from Earth. (characterization)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The atmospheric temperature of WASP‑39b reaches about 900 °C. (temperature measurement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] WASP‑39b completes an orbit around its star in roughly four Earth days. (orbital data)