NASA’s Webb Reveals Steamy Atmosphere of Distant Planet in Exquisite Detail

Stsci_2022-032a_1024

stsci_2022-032a July 12th, 2022

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team

In a dream come true for exoplaneteers, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has demonstrated its unprecedented ability to analyze the atmosphere of a planet more than 1,000 light-years away. With the combined forces of its 270-square-foot mirror, precision spectrographs, and sensitive detectors, Webb has – in a single observation – revealed the unambiguous signature of water, indications of haze, and evidence for clouds that were thought not to exist based on prior observations. The transmission spectrum of the hot gas giant WASP-96 b, made using Webb’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, provides just a glimpse into the brilliant future of exoplanet research with Webb.

Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2022/news-2022-032

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

Image Use Policy: http://stsci.edu/copyright/

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Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Chart
Object Name
WASP-96 b
Subject - Milky Way
Planet > Type > Gas Giant

Distance Details Distance

Universescale1
1,161 light years

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 0h 4m 11.0s
DEC = -47° 21’ 38.2”
Constellation
Phoenix

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Grayscale Webb (NIRISS) Infrared 750.0 nm
Grayscale Webb (NIRISS) Infrared 2.8 µm
Spectrum_base
Grayscale
Grayscale
Stsci_2022-032a_1280
×
ID
2022-032a
Subject Category
B.1.1.2  
Subject Name
WASP-96 b
Credits
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
Release Date
2022-07-12T00:00:00
Lightyears
1,161
Redshift
1,161
Reference Url
https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2022/news-2022-032
Type
Chart
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Webb, Webb
Instrument
NIRISS, NIRISS
Color Assignment
Grayscale, Grayscale
Band
Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
750, 2750
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
1.0458, -47.3606
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
STScI
URL
http://stsci.edu
Name
Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach
Email
outreach@stsci.edu
Telephone
410-338-4444
Address
3700 San Martin Drive
City
Baltimore
State/Province
MD
Postal Code
21218
Country
USA
Rights
http://stsci.edu/copyright/
Publisher
STScI
Publisher ID
stsci
Resource ID
STScI-J-p22032a-f-16000x10763.tif
Metadata Date
2022-09-06T15:24:34-04:00
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
1,161 light years

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