Latest news with #14Herculisc
Sustainability Times
16-07-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'They Finally Saw It!': James Webb Captures 14 Herculis c, the Mysterious Exoplanet Hidden in Darkness for Over Two Decades
IN A NUTSHELL 🌌 The James Webb Space Telescope has imaged 14 Herculis c, the coldest exoplanet ever captured. has imaged 14 Herculis c, the coldest exoplanet ever captured. 🔭 Located 60 light-years away, this exoplanet challenges our understanding with its unique orbital dynamics . . 🪐 The planet's orbit is highly elliptical, providing insights into planetary evolution and gravitational interactions. and gravitational interactions. 🌍 Webb's observations reveal unusual atmospheric chemistry, broadening our knowledge of distant worlds. The James Webb Space Telescope has once again pushed the boundaries of our understanding of the cosmos by capturing an image of one of the strangest exoplanets known to date. Located 60 light-years away, the exoplanet, 14 Herculis c, orbits a star similar to our Sun. What makes this discovery particularly remarkable is that 14 Herculis c is the coldest exoplanet ever directly imaged, offering astronomers a unique opportunity to study a new class of planetary bodies. This discovery not only expands our catalog of exoplanets but also opens new avenues in our quest to understand distant worlds. Expanding Our Catalog of Alien Worlds The James Webb Space Telescope has unlocked a new realm of exoplanet research with its ability to image colder planets. According to William Balmer, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University and co-first author of the study, 'The colder an exoplanet, the harder it is to image, so this is a totally new regime of study that Webb has unlocked with its extreme sensitivity in the infrared.' Webb's image of 14 Herculis c reveals a world unlike those previously studied, broadening our understanding of the diversity among exoplanets. The central star, 14 Herculis, shares similarities with our Sun in age and temperature but is slightly less massive and cooler. This system contains two known planets, with 14 Herculis c being the focus of Webb's latest observations. The telescope's capabilities allow astronomers to observe not just hot, young exoplanets but also older, colder ones, providing a more comprehensive view of planetary evolution. 'I'm Almost Certain There Are Inhabited Planets': Astrophysicist Drops Chilling Statement That Shakes Our Place in the Universe Webb's groundbreaking observation capabilities have added invaluable data to our growing catalog of exoplanets, enhancing our ability to understand their formation and characteristics. As Balmer notes, 'We are now able to add to the catalog not just hot, young exoplanets imaged, but older exoplanets that are far colder than we've directly seen before Webb.' Weird Worlds Around 14 Herculis The 14 Herculis system presents a fascinating case study for astronomers due to its unusual planetary orbits. Unlike the orderly, flat plane of planets in our Solar System, the two exoplanets around 14 Herculis exhibit an unusual and chaotic orbital pattern. Their paths cross each other at an angle of about 40 degrees, resembling an 'X' in space. This gravitational dance suggests a tumultuous past, possibly involving the ejection of a third planet. 'NASA Unveils Cosmic Spectacle': Stunning New Images and Sounds of Andromeda Galaxy Leave Astronomers in Absolute Awe Such erratic orbits offer insights into the early formation and evolution of planetary systems. William Balmer comments, 'The early evolution of our own Solar System was dominated by the movement and pull of our own gas giants.' The gravitational interactions in the 14 Herculis system remind us of the chaotic forces that might have shaped our own cosmic neighborhood. These findings prompt astronomers to consider how similar gravitational interactions might have influenced the development of our Solar System. This intriguing system stands as a natural laboratory for studying the complex dynamics that govern planetary motion, offering a glimpse into the possible fates of nascent planetary systems. 'I Was Convinced We'd Found Aliens': Scientists Backtrack on K2-18b Breakthrough Before Revealing the Devastating Truth Webb's Investigations of 14 Herculis c Webb's observations of 14 Herculis c have revealed critical details about the planet's orbit and atmospheric composition. The planet follows a highly elliptical orbit, swinging out 1.4 billion miles from its host star. This distance positions 14 Herculis c between Saturn and Uranus in our Solar System, providing a unique opportunity for comparative analysis. Through precise measurements of the planet's brightness at 4.4 microns, Webb has allowed astronomers to infer details about its atmosphere. Daniella C. Bardalez Gagliuffi of Amherst College explains, 'If a planet of a certain mass formed 4 billion years ago, then cooled over time because it doesn't have a source of energy keeping it warm, we can predict how hot it should be today.' Interestingly, 14 Herculis c's brightness is fainter than expected, a phenomenon attributed to 'carbon disequilibrium chemistry.' In this process, molecules formed at warmer temperatures in the lower atmosphere are rapidly transported to the colder upper layers, defying conventional expectations. This unique atmospheric trait offers a valuable comparison to the coldest brown dwarfs, furthering our understanding of planetary atmospheres. Unveiling the Mysteries of 14 Herculis c The discovery of 14 Herculis c marks a remarkable milestone in our exploration of distant worlds. As the coldest exoplanet ever directly imaged, it challenges our preconceptions and expands our knowledge of planetary diversity. The unusual orbital dynamics and atmospheric characteristics of 14 Herculis c provide a rare opportunity to study the forces shaping planetary systems. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of this intriguing exoplanet, questions arise about the potential for other cold exoplanets waiting to be discovered. What other secrets do these distant worlds hold, and how might they reshape our understanding of planetary formation and evolution? The James Webb Space Telescope's ongoing exploration promises to unlock new frontiers and inspire further inquiry into the enigmatic nature of our universe. This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (28)
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
NASA's Webb finds cold giant planet caught in cosmic tug of war: Here's why it intrigues scientists
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has snapped a direct image of a frozen world with an orbit so off-track it's left astronomers puzzled. Named 14 Herculis c , this distant planet lies about 58.4 light-years away in the constellation Hercules and appears to be drifting through a celestial crime scene. "This is a totally new regime of study that Webb has unlocked with its extreme sensitivity in the infrared," said William Balmer, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University and co-lead author of the new paper. A cold giant in Deep Space At minus 3°C, 14 Herculis c is among the coldest exoplanets ever directly imaged. Unlike the majority of observed exoplanets—usually hot and young—this one is roughly four billion years old and frigid. It is seven times as massive as Jupiter and orbits its star at a vast distance of about 1.4 billion miles. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 45세 이상이신가요? 느긋하게 쉬려면 이 게임을 플레이해 보세요 (지금 플레이해 보기) Taonga: 아일랜드 팜 플레이하기 Undo In the JWST image, it appears as a faint orange dot. That faintness is a surprise, given its size and age. 'The planet's actually significantly fainter than what we'd expect,' said Balmer. 'We don't think that this is a problem with the evolutionary models, however.' Live Events The brightness—or rather, the lack of it—may be explained by what's happening deep within the planet's atmosphere. A misaligned and violent orbit What's truly unusual is how this planet moves. The 14 Herculis system has two known planets that orbit their host star at sharply different angles. Instead of sweeping around their star in neat loops like our solar system, the planets cross paths in an 'X' pattern. 'This is the aftermath of a more violent planetary crime scene,' Balmer said. 'It reminds us that something similar could have happened to our own solar system, and that the outcomes for small planets like Earth are often dictated by much larger forces.' Scientists believe the skewed orbit might be the result of a third planet that once existed in the system but was violently ejected during its early evolution. The remaining two appear to be locked in a long-term gravitational tug-of-war . 'These wobbles appear to be stable over long time scales,' Balmer added. 'We're trying to understand what kinds of planet-planet scatterings could produce such an exotic configuration of orbits.' What the atmosphere reveals Using JWST's Near-Infrared Camera and coronagraph—tools designed to block out starlight and catch faint planetary signals—astronomers were able to detect traces of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the planet's atmosphere. "Added information, like the perceived brightness in direct imaging, would in theory support this estimate of the planet's temperature," said Daniella C. Bardalez Gagliuffi, co-author of the paper. Gagliuffi explained that 14 Her c behaves more like a brown dwarf than a planet in terms of atmospheric chemistry . Normally, at such low temperatures, methane would dominate. But instead, carbon molecules created in warmer atmospheric layers appear to have been churned upward before they could convert. 'This is explained by churning in the atmosphere,' she said. 'Molecules made at warmer temperatures in the lower atmosphere are brought to the cold, upper atmosphere very quickly.' The result is a planet that appears cooler and dimmer than it actually is—wrapped in a kind of cosmic disguise. Rethinking planetary evolution Most directly imaged exoplanets are young, bright, and close to their stars. But the strange tilt and great distance of 14 Her c made it a perfect target for Webb's advanced imaging techniques. "This is great news for direct imaging," Balmer said. "We could confidently predict that JWST could resolve the outermost planet in the system." With this image, JWST has expanded the known frontier of observable planets to include cold, mature giants. The discovery is more than a milestone—it's a gateway into understanding how solar systems form, clash, and settle. "We want to understand how these planets change," said Balmer, "because we want to understand how we got here." The team's findings have been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and were recently presented at the 246th American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. This isn't just about a frozen gas giant orbiting far away. It's about understanding how planetary systems form, how they fight, and how they survive. Earth's place in the cosmos may have been secured not by order, but by surviving early chaos—and Webb's sharp new eye just gave us a glimpse of what that chaos looks like elsewhere.
Economic Times
15-06-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
NASA's Webb finds cold giant planet caught in cosmic tug of war: Here's why it intrigues scientists
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has snapped a direct image of a frozen world with an orbit so off-track it's left astronomers puzzled. Named 14 Herculis c, this distant planet lies about 58.4 light-years away in the constellation Hercules and appears to be drifting through a celestial crime scene."This is a totally new regime of study that Webb has unlocked with its extreme sensitivity in the infrared," said William Balmer, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University and co-lead author of the new paper. At minus 3°C, 14 Herculis c is among the coldest exoplanets ever directly imaged. Unlike the majority of observed exoplanets—usually hot and young—this one is roughly four billion years old and frigid. It is seven times as massive as Jupiter and orbits its star at a vast distance of about 1.4 billion the JWST image, it appears as a faint orange dot. That faintness is a surprise, given its size and age.'The planet's actually significantly fainter than what we'd expect,' said Balmer. 'We don't think that this is a problem with the evolutionary models, however.' The brightness—or rather, the lack of it—may be explained by what's happening deep within the planet's truly unusual is how this planet moves. The 14 Herculis system has two known planets that orbit their host star at sharply different angles. Instead of sweeping around their star in neat loops like our solar system, the planets cross paths in an 'X' pattern.'This is the aftermath of a more violent planetary crime scene,' Balmer said. 'It reminds us that something similar could have happened to our own solar system, and that the outcomes for small planets like Earth are often dictated by much larger forces.' Scientists believe the skewed orbit might be the result of a third planet that once existed in the system but was violently ejected during its early evolution. The remaining two appear to be locked in a long-term gravitational tug-of-war. 'These wobbles appear to be stable over long time scales,' Balmer added. 'We're trying to understand what kinds of planet-planet scatterings could produce such an exotic configuration of orbits.'Using JWST's Near-Infrared Camera and coronagraph—tools designed to block out starlight and catch faint planetary signals—astronomers were able to detect traces of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the planet's atmosphere."Added information, like the perceived brightness in direct imaging, would in theory support this estimate of the planet's temperature," said Daniella C. Bardalez Gagliuffi, co-author of the paper. Gagliuffi explained that 14 Her c behaves more like a brown dwarf than a planet in terms of atmospheric chemistry. Normally, at such low temperatures, methane would dominate. But instead, carbon molecules created in warmer atmospheric layers appear to have been churned upward before they could convert. 'This is explained by churning in the atmosphere,' she said. 'Molecules made at warmer temperatures in the lower atmosphere are brought to the cold, upper atmosphere very quickly.'The result is a planet that appears cooler and dimmer than it actually is—wrapped in a kind of cosmic directly imaged exoplanets are young, bright, and close to their stars. But the strange tilt and great distance of 14 Her c made it a perfect target for Webb's advanced imaging techniques."This is great news for direct imaging," Balmer said. "We could confidently predict that JWST could resolve the outermost planet in the system."With this image, JWST has expanded the known frontier of observable planets to include cold, mature giants. The discovery is more than a milestone—it's a gateway into understanding how solar systems form, clash, and settle."We want to understand how these planets change," said Balmer, "because we want to understand how we got here."The team's findings have been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and were recently presented at the 246th American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, isn't just about a frozen gas giant orbiting far away. It's about understanding how planetary systems form, how they fight, and how they survive. Earth's place in the cosmos may have been secured not by order, but by surviving early chaos—and Webb's sharp new eye just gave us a glimpse of what that chaos looks like elsewhere.
NDTV
15-06-2025
- Science
- NDTV
'Strange' Planetary System With Unusual Orbit Intrigues Scientists
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a clear and direct image of a distant planet in a planetary system which is described by scientists as "abnormal", "chaotic" and "strange". The planet named 14 Herculis c (or 14 Her c) is an exoplanet located approximately 58.4 light-years away in the constellation of Hercules in the Milky Way galaxy. The planet was formed around four billion years ago and has a frigid atmospheric temperature of just minus 3 degrees Celsius. The exoplanet is one of the coldest captured to date. "The colder an exoplanet, the harder it is to image, so this is a totally new regime of study that Webb has unlocked with its extreme sensitivity in the infrared," William Balmer, co-first author of the new paper and graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, was quoted as saying by NASA. "We are now able to add to the catalog of not just hot, young exoplanets imaged, but older exoplanets that are far colder than we've directly seen before Webb," Balmer added. The planet 14 Herculis c is a gas giant, roughly the same size as Jupiter but much more massive, with a mass of 7.1 Jupiter masses. The planet orbits its star, 14 Herculis, at a distance of about 27.4 astronomical units (AU), taking around 142.8 years to complete one orbit. In the latest image taken by JWST, 14 Her c appears as a faint orange dot. Its colour is a result of heat radiating from its atmosphere, which translates into visible hues. Why is this planetary system misaligned? NASA revealed that there are two planets in this system - 14 Herculis b is closer to the star. But they have an unusual orbit as these planets cross each other like an 'X', with the host star at the centre. For the first time, an image of a misaligned system has been taken, leaving scientists worried about how the planets got so "off track". "The early evolution of our own solar system was dominated by the movement and pull of our own gas giants. They threw around asteroids and rearranged other planets. Here, we are seeing the aftermath of a more violent planetary crime scene. It reminds us that something similar could have happened to our own solar system, and that the outcomes for small planets like Earth are often dictated by much larger forces," added Balmer.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's Webb telescope glimpses coldest exoplanet yet found: What to know about gas giant
"Abnormal, chaotic and strange" are just a few adjectives astronomers are using to describe a perplexing planetary system 60 light-years from Earth. And for one of the two exoplanets orbiting the system's central star, you can add this descriptor: cold. Surprisingly frigid, in fact. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope recently turned its attention to the distant planetary system in our Milky Way galaxy to gather new and unexpected insights for a team of researchers. Using Webb's near-infrared camera (NIRCam), which shows reflected light, the team was able to image one of two known planets orbiting a star known as 14 Herculis. Among the nearly 6,000 exoplanets so far discovered, those that have been imaged tend to be incredibly hot – temperatures at times reaching into thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. But that wasn't the case for this exoplanet, known as 14 Herculis c. Not only is 14 Herculis c not hot at all, it's uncommonly cold. The exoplanet is so cold, in fact, that the team of researchers claims it is the coldest exoplanet imaged to date, NASA said in a blog post June 10. Here's what to know about exoplanets, and what makes the discovery about 14 Herculis c significant. Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside Earth's solar system. For that reason, these celestial bodies are sometimes also referred to as extrasolar planets. Some, called rogue planets, don't even orbit a star, but rather are floating through the cosmos untethered. An exoplanet known as K2-18b even achieved a degree of fame in April when a team of astronomers claimed to have found in its atmosphere "the strongest evidence yet" that life exists anywhere else besides Earth. Other scientists have since cast doubt on the findings. Astronomers have confirmed the existence of more than 5,800 exoplanets, but billions are thought to exist, according to NASA. Webb's new image of 14 Herculis c has given researchers insight into the exoplanet's temperature, strange orbit and atmosphere. The exoplanet is one of at least two gas giants – both significantly bigger than Jupiter – that have been observed orbiting a central star, 14 Herculis, that is similar in age and temperature to Earth's sun, but a little less massive and not as hot. Neither orbits the host star in the same way planets in our solar system do, but instead cross each other in a pattern that resembles an X, according to NASA. Though the other exoplanet, 14 Herculis b, has been observed before, the new data suggests 14 Herculis c, which is about seven times the mass of Jupiter, is as cold as 26 degrees Fahrenheit. Webb has become famous for snapping gorgeous images of the cosmos, but the photo the telescope captured of 14 Herculis c is far from as eye-catching. That's because astronomers struggle to image planets orbiting stars other than our own sun. Why? The stars often outshine their planets, which tend to be a little too close to their stars. Still, even a simple grainy image like this one depicting what appears to be a distant dot is packed with information for astronomers. The team's findings have been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and were presented June 10 at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska. The James Webb Space Telescope, which launched in 2021, far surpasses the abilities of the Hubble Space Telescope, launched 35 years ago in 1990. Orbiting the sun rather than Earth, the Webb is outfitted with a gold-coated mirror and powerful infrared instruments to observe the cosmos like no instrument before. Since reaching the cosmos, Webb has not only facilitated countless scientific breakthroughs in astrophysics, but it also has produced gorgeous images of planets and other celestial objects, including star-forming regions. In March, NASA also deployed into orbit its SPHEREx telescope to collect data on more than 450 million galaxies. Scientists say the SPHEREx observatory will be able to get a wider view of the galaxy – identifying objects of scientific interest that telescopes like Hubble and Webb can then study up close. SPHEREx became operational in May, constantly snapping images of the cosmos. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coldest exoplanet yet found has 'strange' orbit around its star: Study
