Latest news with #ElizaKempton
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb Space Telescope finds water in the air of exotic 'sub-Neptune' exoplanet
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This artist's concept shows what the hot sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b could look like. | Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Dani Player (STScI) NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has found water swirling in the air of a distant alien planet, a new study reports. That exotic world is TOI-421 b, a boiling-hot " sub-Neptune " orbiting a star about 244 light-years from Earth whose atmosphere JWST recently probed in detail. "One of the most exciting prospects in exoplanet science today is discovering the origin and makeup of sub-Neptunes, which are high-occurrence planets that have no solar system analog," the study team wrote in their paper , which was published Monday (May 5) in The Astronomical Journal Letters. Although JWST was specifically designed for this kind of investigation, the discovery is particularly exciting because little is known about this class of planets, which were first identified by NASA's pioneering Kepler space telescope . Before JWST, attempts to study the atmospheres of sub-Neptune planets using transmission spectra — the measurement of starlight filtered through a planet's atmosphere when it passes in front of its host star — often yielded flat or featureless spectra. So, rather than showing chemical fingerprints that could indicate the presence of atmospheric molecules like carbon dioxide, methane or water vapor, the spectra of sub-Neptunes have generally offered little useful information. Astronomers proposed that this lack of detail might be due to clouds or hazes, which could be obscuring the signals. But the study team thought that TOI-421 b might be different, and could therefore offer a unique opportunity. "Why did we observe this planet, TOI-421 b? It's because we thought that maybe it wouldn't have hazes," principal investigator Eliza Kempton, a professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, said in a statement . "And the reason is that there were some previous data that implied that maybe [sub-Neptune] planets over a certain temperature range were less enshrouded by haze or clouds than others." Previous observations with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope had shown that flat spectral features are common among sub-Neptunes with temperatures below about 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit (577 degrees Celsius). "Sub-Neptunes hotter [than this threshold] are also expected to be haze free because methane, and thus the hydrocarbon precursors to haze formation, should be less abundant as carbon monoxide becomes the dominant carbon-bearing molecule," the team wrote in the new study. TOI-421 b, with an estimated atmospheric temperature of 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit (727 degrees C), falls into this potentially haze-free category — and, after observing two transits using JWST's Near Infrared Spectrograph and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph instruments, the team was rewarded with a rich atmospheric profile. "We saw spectral features that we attribute to various gases, and that allowed us to determine the composition of the atmosphere," Brian Davenport, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland who conducted the primary data analysis, said in the same statement. Related Stories: — James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — A complete guide — Doubts over signs of alien life on exoplanet K2-18b are rising: 'This is evidence of the scientific process at work' — This rare exoplanet system has 6 'sub-Neptunes' with mathematically perfect orbits The team detected water vapor in TOI-421 b's atmosphere, along with possible signs of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Notably, they did not find evidence of methane or carbon dioxide. The data also suggest that the atmosphere contains a significant amount of hydrogen. Some of these findings are surprising, challenging existing theories about the formation and evolution of sub-Neptune planets. "We had recently wrapped our mind around the idea that those first few sub-Neptunes observed by Webb had heavy-molecule atmospheres, so that had become our expectation, and then we found the opposite," said Kempton. This means TOI-421 b may have formed and evolved differently than cooler sub-Neptunes, such as TOI-270 d , which was observed previously. The hydrogen-rich atmosphere is especially intriguing because it closely mirrors the composition of TOI-421 b's host star . "If you just took the same gas that made the host star, plopped it on top of a planet's atmosphere, and put it at the much cooler temperature of this planet, you would get the same combination of gases," Kempton said. "That process is more in line with the giant planets in our solar system, and it is different from other sub-Neptunes that have been observed with Webb so far." "I had been waiting my entire career for Webb so that we could meaningfully characterize the atmospheres of these smaller planets," she continued. "By studying their atmospheres, we're getting a better understanding of how sub-Neptunes formed and evolved, and part of that is understanding why they don't exist in our solar system."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Webb telescope just got a crystal-clear view of a hot alien world
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways A sweltering planet circling a star much like the sun is delivering something scientists rarely get when studying distant worlds — clarity. Using the James Webb Space Telescope , a collaboration of NASA and its European and Canadian counterparts, a team of astronomers zoomed in on TOI-421b, a planet more than 2.5 times larger than Earth and 245 light-years away in space . The exoplanet isn't just missing clouds, it's free of the typical hazes that have obscured views of the atmospheres surrounding other planets in its size class. That makes TOI-421b a standout among so-called " sub-Neptunes ," planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. These worlds are thought to be the most common in the Milky Way, yet scientists know relatively little about them, said Eliza Kempton, principal investigator of the study. That's because their atmospheres have been so hard to study. "They're incredibly plentiful in our galaxy," Kempton, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, told Mashable. "And that just raises the importance that if this is the most common kind of planet, we better try to figure out what they're all about." SEE ALSO: These scientists think alien life best explains what Webb just found An illustration of Webb telescope flying through space The James Webb Space Telescope has provided the clearest atmospheric reading yet for a hot sub-Neptune exoplanet. Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration The way the team analyzed the planet's atmosphere is called transmission spectroscopy . When planets cross in front of their host star, starlight shines through their atmospheres. Molecules within the atmosphere absorb certain light wavelengths, or colors, so by splitting the star's light into its basic parts — a rainbow — astronomers can look for which light segments are missing to figure out the makeup of an atmosphere. When they peered at TOI-421b, they saw strong signs of water vapor and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere , with no evidence of the thick aerosol layers that have previously cloaked other sub-Neptunes. The team picked up hints of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, though they'd need more observations to confirm those detections. The researchers also noted what was absent from the data: methane and carbon dioxide. Their findings are published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Scientists chose TOI-421b for this study because it was predicted to have a haze-free atmosphere, based on its extremely high temperature of 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler planets — like the previously studied sub-Neptunes orbiting dimmer stars called red dwarfs — often show signs of methane. But methane tends to break down in high heat, unable to start the chemical process that can lead to haze. The big surprise was just how lightweight the planet's atmosphere appeared. It wears a jacket of hydrogen and helium , like the gas its star is made of. Previous sub-Neptune studies revealed worlds wrapped in much heavier gases that could potentially be water worlds . Scientists are now wondering if the planet has held onto the molecular outfit it was born with billions of years ago. Perhaps the type of star a planet orbits changes how the atmosphere of that world develops over time. Or maybe the hotter planets are just more likely to have clear skies. Whatever the reason, the team is motivated more than ever to look at other hot sub-Neptunes for patterns. "So we can see if this planet just turned out to be kind of a unique snowflake," Kempton said, "or is it emblematic of a class of planets that all have similar properties?"
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The James Webb Telescope Just Zoomed In On A Hot, Haze-Free Exoplanet
The James Webb Space Telescope just zoomed in on the atmosphere of a planet discovered in 2020 -- and now we have the clearest data about an exoplanet that there's ever been. The awkwardly named Planet TOI-421b's exoplanet status means that it doesn't orbit our sun. (Exoplanets are defined as any planet beyond our solar system.) Don't expect to travel there any time soon. It's 244 light-years away from the Earth -- for comparison, the dwarf planet Pluto is only five and a half light-hours from us. Even still, the planet orbits a similar star to our sun, and is considered a sub-Neptume planet, because it's larger than Earth, but smaller than Neptune, which itself is four times larger than Earth. The planet was discovered through astronomical transit, which means astronomers noticed that a star dimmed as TOI-421b passed it in orbit. This isn't a heavenly body that a hobbyist can spot, but the best cameras out there can get you started with astrophotography. The exoplanet was mapped out by a team of astronomers from NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, who worked together to analyze the planet's atmosphere using a form of study called spectroscopy. By parsing out light frequencies in a planet's atmosphere, scientists can figure out what elements are present -- and which are missing. TOI-421b's atmosphere is rich in hydrogen, and contains signs of water vapor. But it doesn't contain signs of methane, which leads to hazy, unclear atmospheric conditions. Most sub-Neptune exoplanets have atmospheres shrouded in haze, which makes them difficult to image. TOI-421b was chosen for the project because the initial analysis led scientists to believe that the planet could be accurately and clearly pictured through spectroscopic imaging. Is this planet a 'unique snowflake'? The team of astronomers published their findings in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, where all of the key data for the project is collected in one paper. You can read through the full write-up here. The spectroscopic images of TOI-421b are accessible in the results section of the paper, and they paint a picture of many of the exoplanet's strange and exciting properties. Other sub-Neptune worlds had atmospheres filled with heavy gases that indicated they were potentially mostly composed of water, but TOI-421b is composed of lightweight gases -- much like the star it orbits. This has raised questions about how different types of stars could potentially impact the atmosphere of their orbiting planets. In a statement to Mashable, Eliza Kempton, the lead investigator on the study, said it was something the astronomers would need to further explore. "We can see if this planet just turned out to be kind of a unique snowflake, or is it emblematic of a class of planets that all have similar properties," she said.
Digital Trends
06-05-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
James Webb hunts for a haze-less exoplanet to answer longstanding mystery
Some of the most common exoplanets in our galaxy are also the most mysterious. We don't have an equivalent to this type of planet, called a sub-Neptune, in our solar system, but now the James Webb Space Telescope is uncovering details about these planets for the first time. Smaller than ice giants like Neptune or Uranus but with a gas composition more similar to Saturn or Juputer, Sub-Neptunes are thought to be the most common type of exoplanet, but they are hard to study because they are typically obscured by clouds and haze. That means that astronomers haven't been able to study their atmospheres, or to learn much about how these planets evolve, or why we don't have one in our solar system. Recommended Videos But recently, astronomers were able to use Webb to study a sub-Neptune called TOI-421 b. 'I had been waiting my entire career for Webb so that we could meaningfully characterize the atmospheres of these smaller planets,' said lead researcher Eliza Kempton of the University of Maryland, College Park. 'By studying their atmospheres, we're getting a better understanding of how sub-Neptunes formed and evolved, and part of that is understanding why they don't exist in our solar system.' This particular planet was selected for study because of its extreme heat, with a scorching temperature of around 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit. That is high enough there shouldn't be methane present in the planet's atmosphere, which means that it shouldn't form a haze — and should therefore be easier to observe. 'Why did we observe this planet, TOI-421 b? It's because we thought that maybe it wouldn't have hazes,' said Kempton. 'And the reason is that there were some previous data that implied that maybe planets over a certain temperature range were less enshrouded by haze or clouds than others.' Thanks to the lack of haze, the researchers were able to look into the planet's atmosphere and see what it was composed of. They found water vapor, with a large amount of hydrogen in the atmosphere, as well as suggestions of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide — but notably, no indications of methane or carbon dioxide. The large amount of hydrogen was a surprise as it differs from the few other sub-Neptunes that have been observed with Webb — so could this planet be an anomaly? Or perhaps it formed in a different way from these other similar planets? The researchers hope to observe more sub-Neptunes to find out. 'We've unlocked a new way to look at these sub-Neptunes,' said researcher Brian Davenport. 'These high-temperature planets are amenable to characterization. So by looking at sub-Neptunes of this temperature, we're perhaps more likely to accelerate our ability to learn about these planets.' The research is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Please enable Javascript to view this content
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
NASA's Webb Reveals Secrets of Milky Way's Most Common Type of Planet
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Astronomers are pulling back the hazy veil on the Milky Way's most common—and arguably most mysterious—type of planet: so-called sub-Neptunes. Not seen among the planets of our solar system, these are gassy worlds that, as their names imply, fall in size between that of Earth and Neptune. First discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope, the atmospheres of sub-Neptune had proven impossible to probe because of how they are shrouded in haze. However, the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that at least one sub-Neptune exoplanet—TOI-421 b—is clear and ready to show off its secrets. "I had been waiting my entire career for Webb so that we could meaningfully characterize the atmospheres of these smaller planets," said paper author and astronomer professor Eliza Kempton of the University of Maryland, College Park, in a statement. "By studying their atmospheres, we're getting a better understanding of how sub-Neptunes formed and evolved, and part of that is understanding why they don't exist in our solar system." Artist's impression of the sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b. Artist's impression of the sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b. NASA, ESA, CSA, Dani Player STScI TOI-421 b lies some 245 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Lepus, to the south of Orion. Critically, it also has a temperature of around 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit. "Why did we observe this planet, TOI-421 b? It's because we thought that maybe it wouldn't have hazes," explained Kempton. "And the reason is that there were some previous data that implied that maybe planets over a certain temperature range were less enshrouded by haze or clouds than others." Below this level, photochemical reactions are expected to occur between sunlight and methane gas, triggering the haze. This threshold is around 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit—well below the temperature of TOI-421 b, which has no methane. "We saw spectral features that we attribute to various gases—and that allowed us to determine the composition of the atmosphere," added Maryland astronomer Brian Davenport in a statement. "Whereas with many of the other sub-Neptunes that had been previously observed, we know their atmospheres are made of something, but they're being blocked by haze." The researchers found that TOI-421 b's atmosphere contains water vapour, and also tentative signatures of both carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Alongside a lack of methane, the team also did not detect any carbon dioxide. The team also believes that the sub-Neptune contains a large amount of lightweight hydrogen in its atmosphere—a finding that came as something of a surprise. "We had recently wrapped our minds around the idea that those first few sub-Neptunes observed by Webb had heavy-molecule atmospheres, so that had become our expectation," said Kempton. She added: "And then we found the opposite." This adds, the researchers note, to the notion that TOI-421 b may have developed in a different way to the cooler sub-Neptunes astronomers have observed before. A transmission spectrum of exoplanet TOI-421 b, revealing its atmospheric composition. A transmission spectrum of exoplanet TOI-421 b, revealing its atmospheric composition. NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted STScI Another difference between TOI-421 b and the other sub-Neptunes Webb has observed to date is that the newly studied world orbits a sun-like star, not a cooler and smaller red dwarf. In fact, TOI-421 b's hydrogen-rich atmosphere would seem to mimic that of its host star. "If you just took the same gas that made the host star, plopped it on top of a planet's atmosphere and put it at the much cooler temperature of this planet, you would get the same combination of gases," said Kempton. "That process is more in line with the giant planets in our solar system—and it is different from other sub-Neptunes that must have been observed with Webb so far." As to whether all sub-Neptunes found around sun-like stars are like hot little TOI-421 b, or whether exoplanets are just very diverse in nature, more observations of sub-Neptunes are needed, the researchers said. "We've unlocked a new way to look at these sub-Neptunes," said Davenport. "These high-temperature planets are amenable to characterization; so, by looking at sub-Neptunes of this temperature, we're perhaps more likely to accelerate our ability to learn about these planets." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about exoplanets? Let us know via science@ Reference Davenport, B., Kempton, E. M.-R., Nixon, M. C., Ih, J., Deming, D., Fu, G., May, E. M., Bean, J. L., Gao, P., Rogers, L., & Malik, M. (2025). TOI-421 b: A Hot Sub-Neptune with a Haze-free, Low Mean Molecular Weight Atmosphere. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 984(2).
