NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured direct images of two giant exoplanet systems, HR 8799 and 51 Eridani, providing new insights into the formation and composition of these massive planets. The observations reveal that the four giant planets in the HR 8799 system are rich in carbon dioxide gas, similar to Jupiter and Saturn.
This is a significant finding, as it suggests that core accretion, the process by which solid cores form and attract gas from a protoplanetary disk, may be more common than previously thought. The discovery was made possible by Webb’s highly sensitive coronagraph, which blocks the light of the star, allowing for direct imaging of the exoplanets.
The study also confirms that the James Webb Space Telescope can infer the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres through imaging. This technique complements Webb’s powerful spectroscopic instruments and provides valuable data on how these planets formed.
The HR 8799 system is a young planet-forming region, about 30 million years old, which is much younger than our solar system. The observations provide insights into the formation process of giant planets and may help scientists understand our own solar system and its place in the universe.
The images were taken using Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which blocks light from bright stars to reveal hidden worlds. The team found that the four HR 8799 planets contain more heavy elements than previously thought, providing further evidence for core accretion.
This discovery marks an important milestone in the study of exoplanets and their formation processes. By directly imaging giant planets and studying their composition, scientists can gain a better understanding of how our solar system formed and evolved.
Source: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2025/news-2025-114