NASA says its James Webb Space Telescope has directly observed carbon dioxide in planets outside of our solar system for the first time, surprising researchers with new insights into planetary formation.
The telescope detected CO2 in the atmosphere of four gas giants, including the HR 8799 system 130 light years from Earth. The systems’ young age, just 30 million years, provides clues about how distant planets form compared to our solar system’s 4.6 billion-year history.
Researchers used Webb’s coronagraph instruments to block starlight and reveal the chemical makeup of the gas giants. This is a significant step forward, as previously only exoplanets detected by transiting in front of their host stars could have CO2 levels inferred.
The discovery suggests that young gas giants can form in similar ways to those in our solar system, but more research is needed to understand how common this process is throughout the universe.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman space telescope will launch in 2027 and focus on smaller Earth-sized worlds, which are considered crucial for detecting life. The discovery of carbon dioxide on exoplanets marks a significant milestone in the search for life beyond Earth.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/webb-telescope-images-exoplanets-carbon-dioxide-stunned-researchers-nasa