NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has observed a steamy, highly reflective mini-Neptune exoplanet, GJ 1214 b, using its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to reveal details about its atmosphere. The watery atmosphere suggests that the planet formed farther from its star before spiraling inward, but more
, GJ 1214 b, using its Mid-Infrared Instrument to reveal details about its atmosphere. The watery atmosphere suggests that the planet formed farther from its star before spiraling inward, but more observations are needed to understand mini-Neptune formation.
To penetrate such a thick barrier, the research team took a chance on a novel approach: In addition to making the standard observation – capturing the host star’s light that has filtered through the planet’s atmosphere – they tracked GJ 1214 b through nearly its entire orbit around the star. “The ability to get a full orbit was really critical to understand how the planet distributes heat from the day side to the night side,” Kempton said. “There’s a lot of contrast between day and night. The night side is colder than the day side.” In fact, the temperatures shifted from 535 to 326 degreesSuch a big shift is only possible in an atmosphere made up of heavier molecules, such as water or methane, which appear similar when observed by MIRI.
The James Webb Space Telescope is a cutting-edge space observatory designed to explore the universe, investigate distant celestial bodies, and unveil the mysteries of our solar system. Credit: Northrup Grumman “The simplest explanation, if you find a very water-rich planet, is that it formed farther away from the host star,” Kempton said.
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