Credit: ILLUSTRATION: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI)

This artist concept represents the rocky exoplanet GJ 486 b, which orbits a red dwarf star that is only 26 light-years away in the constellation Virgo. By observing GJ 486 b transit in front of its star, astronomers sought signs of an atmosphere. They detected hints of water vapor. However, they caution that while this might be a sign of a planetary atmosphere, the water could be on the star itself – specifically, in cool starspots – and not from the planet at all.

GJ 486 b is about 30% larger than the Earth and weighs three times as much. It orbits its star closely in just under 1.5 days.

Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-120

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

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