Exoplanet K2-18 b (Illustration)
stsci_2023-139a September 11th, 2023
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)
This illustration shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data. K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 120 light years from Earth.
A new investigation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide.
The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, and shortage of ammonia, support the hypothesis that there may be a water ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b.
In this illustration, the exoplanet K2-18 c is shown between K2-18 b and its star.
Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute
Image Source: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-139
Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
Image Use Policy: http://stsci.edu/copyright/
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Image Details
Distance
Position Details
- ID
- 2023-139a
- Subject Category
- B.1.2.2
- Subject Name
- K2-18b
- Credits
- NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)
- Release Date
- 2023-09-11T00:00:00
- Lightyears
- 120
- Redshift
- 120
- Reference Url
- https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-139
- Type
- Artwork
- Image Quality
- Good
- Distance Notes
- distance in lightyears
- Facility
- Instrument
- Color Assignment
- Band
- Bandpass
- Central Wavelength
- Start Time
- Integration Time
- Dataset ID
- Notes
- Coordinate Frame
- ICRS
- Equinox
- Reference Value
- 172.5604917, 7.5884042
- 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
- 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-p23139a-f-3840x2160.tif
- Resource URL
- https://mast.stsci.edu/api/latest/Download/file?uri=mast:OPO/product/STSCI_PR_2023-139/STSCI-J-p23139a-f-3840x2160.tif
- Related Resources
- Metadata Date
- 2023-10-23
- Metadata Version
- 1.2
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
