Atmosphere Composition of Exoplanet K2-18 b (NIRISS & NIRSpec)
stsci_2023-139b September 11th, 2023
Credit: Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI); Science: Nikku Madhusudhan (IoA)
Spectra of K2-18 b, obtained with Webb’s NIRISS (Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph) and NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) displays an abundance of methane and carbon dioxide in the exoplanet’s atmosphere, as well as a possible detection of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS).
The detection of methane and carbon dioxide, and shortage of ammonia, are consistent with the presence of an ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b.
K2-18 b, 8.6 times as massive as Earth, orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 110 light years from Earth.
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
Color Mapping
- ID
- 2023-139b
- Subject Category
- B.1.2.2
- Subject Name
- K2-18b
- Credits
- Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI); Science: Nikku Madhusudhan (IoA)
- Release Date
- 2023-09-11T00:00:00
- Lightyears
- 110
- Redshift
- 110
- Reference Url
- https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2023/news-2023-139
- Type
- Chart
- Image Quality
- Good
- Distance Notes
- distance in lightyears
- Facility
- Webb, Webb
- Instrument
- NIRISS, NIRSpec
- Color Assignment
- Grayscale, Grayscale
- Band
- Infrared, Infrared
- Bandpass
- Central Wavelength
- 1000, 5000
- 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-p23139b-f-3840x2160.tif
- Resource URL
- https://mast.stsci.edu/api/latest/Download/file?uri=mast:OPO/product/STSCI_PR_2023-139/STSCI-J-p23139b-f-3840x2160.tif
- Related Resources
- Metadata Date
- 2023-10-23
- Metadata Version
- 1.2
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
