Latest news with #Herculis
Sustainability Times
7 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
NASA's Jaw-Dropping "Breakthrough" Promises to Reshape Our Understanding as James Webb Captures Alien-Like Planet Just 60 Light-Years Away
IN A NUTSHELL 🌌 The James Webb Space Telescope captured a direct image of the exoplanet 14 Herculis c, located 60 light-years from Earth. captured a direct image of the exoplanet 14 Herculis c, located 60 light-years from Earth. 🔍 Using a coronagraph , the telescope isolates the faint light of exoplanets from the bright glare of their host stars. , the telescope isolates the faint light of exoplanets from the bright glare of their host stars. 🌀 The inclined orbit of 14 Herculis c suggests significant past gravitational interactions within its planetary system. within its planetary system. 🌡️ The exoplanet's atmosphere contains gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, indicating complex atmospheric processes. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has once again made headlines by capturing a direct image of 14 Herculis c, a distant exoplanet located approximately 60 light-years from Earth. This monumental achievement not only highlights the capabilities of the JWST but also opens new avenues in the study of planetary systems beyond our own. The exoplanet, orbiting a Sun-like star, presents intriguing features, including an unusual inclined orbit and a complex atmosphere. Through advanced techniques, scientists are now able to isolate and study the faint light emitted by these distant worlds, bringing us closer to understanding the universe's vast diversity. How the JWST Captures Images of Exoplanets The James Webb Space Telescope utilizes state-of-the-art technology to observe exoplanets, employing methods that allow it to overcome the challenges posed by the brightness of host stars. One of the critical tools used in this process is the coronagraph. This device effectively blocks out the overwhelming light from the stars, making the faint glow of surrounding planets detectable. This is particularly important because exoplanets typically emit light in the infrared spectrum, which is a range the JWST is specially equipped to observe. By focusing on infrared light, the JWST can reveal details about planets that would otherwise remain concealed from view. The telescope's capabilities extend far beyond simple detection. Scientists can employ sophisticated models to analyze the atmospheric composition and structural details of these distant worlds. This approach opens new avenues for understanding the diversity of planetary systems, offering insights into the formation and evolution of planets in the universe. 'China Wants to Catch Ghosts Under the Sea': World's Largest Underwater Telescope Could Unlock the Most Dangerous Secrets of the Universe Why Is the Orbit of 14 Herculis c So Unusual? The orbit of 14 Herculis c stands out due to its inclination, offering a glimpse into the turbulent past of its planetary system. This atypical orbit indicates that 14 Herculis c may have experienced significant gravitational interactions, potentially involving another planet that was expelled from the system. Such interactions are key to understanding the dynamics within young planetary systems. By analyzing these unusual orbital characteristics, scientists can reconstruct the history of the system, shedding light on the processes that may have shaped our own Solar System. Understanding these cosmic dynamics provides valuable insights into how planets migrate and settle into their current orbits. The study of such phenomena is crucial for piecing together the complex puzzle of planetary formation and stability. 'China Just Changed the Game' as Massive Zirconium Find Boosts Strategic Reserves 5-Fold and Sparks Pentagon Panic Over Hypersonic Race The Atmospheric Mysteries of 14 Herculis c 14 Herculis c presents a fascinating atmospheric profile that defies initial expectations. With an estimated atmospheric temperature of about 27°F, this exoplanet is cooler than initially anticipated. Its dim brightness compared to predictions suggests the presence of unique atmospheric processes, potentially involving gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The detection of these gases offers crucial clues about the planet's atmospheric composition and dynamic processes. Understanding these components is vital as they can significantly affect the planet's climate and potential habitability. The presence of such gases suggests a complex atmospheric chemistry, which may differ markedly from existing models of planetary atmospheres. This complexity calls for further research to unlock the mysteries of distant worlds and gain a deeper understanding of their environments. 'Nature Already Solved This' as Scientists Use Plant-Based Design to Reinvent Plastic and Fuel Fierce Clash Over Eco Hype Versus Real-World Impact The Implications of This Discovery The discovery of 14 Herculis c represents a significant milestone in the field of exoplanetary research, showcasing the JWST's pivotal role in advancing our knowledge of the universe. By enabling the exploration of colder and older worlds, this discovery underscores the importance of continued investment in space exploration technology. The JWST's ability to provide a more profound understanding of exoplanets not only enriches our scientific knowledge but also ignites curiosity about the possibility of life beyond Earth. As we delve deeper into the secrets of the cosmos, we are reminded of the universe's vastness and complexity. This discovery prompts us to question what other wonders remain hidden, waiting to be unveiled by future generations of astronomers. What new technologies and techniques will be developed to further push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (22)
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.
