James Webb Space Telescope News - SciTechDaily

Webb Telescope Uncovers Evidence of Hydration on Asteroid Psyche

Southwest Research Institute — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:22:58 +0000

NASA’s Webb telescope has identified hydroxyl molecules on Psyche, a metallic asteroid, hinting at a more intricate history. Psyche’s origin could challenge existing models, indicating it might have formed beyond the solar system’s “snow line.” This discovery will refine our understanding of asteroid compositions and water distribution in the solar system. Discovery of Hydroxyl Molecules [...]

Astronomical First: JWST Has Discovered Carbon Ices in the Far Reaches of the Solar System

University of Central Florida — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:31:13 +0000

A research team led by UCF discovered a significant presence of ancient carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ices on trans-Neptunian objects, indicating that carbon dioxide may have been present during the formation of our solar system. For the first time, ices of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have been detected on trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in [...]

Webb Unveils Scorching Storms on Distant Worlds in Unprecedented Detail

University of Edinburgh — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:12:32 +0000

Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create a comprehensive weather report for two brown dwarfs located about six light years from Earth. Researchers have created the most detailed weather report ever for two distant worlds beyond our own solar system. The international study – the first of its kind – reveals the extreme [...]

Astronomers Stunned by Webb’s Astonishing New Discovery – “Our Jaws Dropped!”

Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 21:21:27 +0000

Using the James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI, astronomers discovered that WL 20S, previously thought to be a single star, is actually a twin star system. Further observations by ALMA revealed the presence of gas and dust disks around both stars, indicating ongoing planet formation and providing new insights into stellar life cycles. Astronomers recently got [...]

Jupiter’s Twin? Webb Telescope Unveils a Frosty Look-Alike Just 12 Light-Years Away

Space Telescope Science Institute — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 13:06:03 +0000

Epsilon Indi Ab is colder than any other imaged planet beyond our solar system. If alien astronomers in a nearby star system had a telescope like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, and they pointed it toward our solar system, then Jupiter might look very much like this new Webb image of the exoplanet Epsilon Indi [...]

Webb Space Telescope Unveils the Strange Split Personality of WASP-39b

Simon Levey, Hayley Dunning, and Corinne Farrell, Imperial College London — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 01:18:42 +0000

The James Webb Space Telescope has provided a detailed analysis of WASP-39b, a tidally locked exoplanet exhibiting differing atmospheric conditions on its morning and evening sides, with a cloudier and cooler morning compared to a hotter evening. The different atmospheric conditions of the ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ sides of a distant planet have been revealed by [...]

Webb’s Super-Jupiter Breakthrough: Oldest and Coldest Exoplanet Ever Imaged

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:00:32 +0000

Researchers using the JWST have captured a new image of Eps Ind Ab, a super-Jupiter with an orbital distance significantly greater than previously estimated. This discovery, highlighting a colder exoplanet than typically observed, prompts a reevaluation of its mass and orbit while also offering a new method for studying distant cold gas giants through direct [...]

Remarkable Webb Telescope Find: Mysterious Dust Clouds on an Alien World

New York University — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 12:29:43 +0000

Scientists used the James Webb Telescope to study WASP-43b, finding high-altitude clouds and large temperature differences between its day and night sides. Their findings provide insights into the planet’s extreme climate and atmospheric dynamics. Jasmina Blecic, a Research Scientist at NYU Abu Dhabi, along with Associate Professor Ian Dobbs-Dixon from the Center for Astrophysics and [...]

Webb Reveals Spectacular Ejecta and Intricate Structures in Cassiopeia A’s Young Supernova

SETI Institute — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 10:24:22 +0000

Observations of the youngest known core collapse supernova in the Milky Way provide insights into the conditions that lead to the formation and destruction of molecules and dust within supernova ejecta. The SETI Institute announced the latest findings from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of the supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A (Cas A). These observations [...]

Eternal Day and Night: Webb’s Journey To Understand a Distant World’s Bizarre Atmosphere

Space Telescope Science Institute — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:46:00 +0000

Near-infrared spectral analysis of terminator confirms differences in morning and evening atmosphere. Since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1992, thousands of planets orbiting stars outside of our solar system have been confirmed through a myriad of different methods, including direct imaging, gravitational microlensing, measuring transits, and astrometry. Over the years, techniques have evolved to [...]

Cosmic Penguin Party: Webb Celebrates Two Years with a Spectacular View of Interacting Galaxies

Space Telescope Science Institute — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 10:41:37 +0000

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows off a pair of intertwined galaxies in infrared light, its latest release in an ongoing run of observations. The James Webb Space Telescope operates around the clock, frequently astonishing researchers with its highly detailed — and incredibly precise — infrared images and data. These wavelengths of light, which lie [...]

Life Beyond Earth? Webb Space Telescope Investigates a Surprising Nearby Ice Planet

University of Michigan — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 00:19:06 +0000

Researchers used data from multiple space telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to study the exoplanet LHS 1140 b, located 48 light-years away in the constellation Cetus. This exoplanet, orbiting a red dwarf star, is in the habitable zone and shows signs of potentially having a nitrogen-rich atmosphere and a water-rich composition, which [...]

Webb’s Infrared Eyes Expose Black Hole Mysteries in Vivid Detail

European Space Agency (ESA) — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:14:30 +0000

Webb’s image of RX J1131-1231 uses gravitational lensing to explore the quasar’s black hole and dark matter, revealing details about its growth and the universe’s mass composition. This new James Webb Space Telescope image features the gravitational lensing of the quasar known as RX J1131-1231, located roughly six billion light-years from Earth in the constellation [...]

Webb’s Super-Earth Discovery: Potentially Habitable World Just 48 Light-Years Away

University of Montreal — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 02:41:47 +0000

A team of astronomers has made an exciting discovery about the temperate exoplanet LHS 1140 b: it could be a promising “super-Earth” covered in ice or water. LHS 1140 b, once thought to be a mini-Neptune, is now considered a possible super-Earth with a nitrogen-rich atmosphere, as suggested by James Webb Space Telescope data. Located [...]

Webb Space Telescope Captures a Staggering Quasar-Galaxy Merger Billions of Light Years Away

Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 16:33:31 +0000

An international research group utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to witness the dramatic interaction between a quasar inside the PJ308–21 system and two massive satellite galaxies in the distant universe This research has revealed significant details about galaxy formation, the mass and growth of supermassive black holes, and the chemical properties of these celestial [...]

Webb Uncovers Unexpected Phenomena Above Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

European Space Agency (ESA) — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 10:27:29 +0000

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists observed the region above Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot to discover a range of previously unseen features. The region, previously believed to be unremarkable in nature, hosts a variety of intricate structures and activity. Recent observations by Webb’s NIRSpec revealed surprising details about Jupiter’s upper atmosphere, particularly above [...]

Cosmic History Rewritten With New Webb Telescope Discoveries

University of Missouri-Columbia — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 05:14:31 +0000

Astronomers have revealed that spiral galaxies appeared more frequently in the early universe than previously believed, based on new findings using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. This challenges earlier notions of galaxy formation timelines and suggests that galaxy development occurred faster than assumed. Scientists at the University of Missouri are peering into the past and [...]

Webb Space Telescope Rewrites the Origin Story of the Crab Nebula’s Supernova

Space Telescope Science Institute — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 18:35:51 +0000

New data revises our view of this unusual supernova explosion. The Crab Nebula is a nearby example of the debris left behind when a star undergoes a violent death in a supernova explosion. However, despite decades of study, this supernova remnant continues to maintain a degree of mystery: What type of star was responsible for [...]

Scientists Baffled: Webb Uncovers Ancient Galaxies That Defy Explanation

Adrienne Berard, Penn State — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 13:04:14 +0000

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed mysterious objects in the early universe that challenge current theories of galaxy and supermassive black hole evolution. These objects contain old stars and massive black holes, much larger than expected, suggesting a rapid and unconventional form of early galaxy formation. The findings highlight significant discrepancies with existing models, [...]

Cosmic Fireworks: Celebrating Independence Day With Webb’s Star Formation Spectacle

Space Telescope Science Institute — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 08:23:45 +0000

Webb’s latest mid-infrared image reveals a protostar’s formation, highlighted by color variations that detail its dynamic interactions with the surrounding molecular cloud. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is celebrating U.S. Independence Day with an observation of the protostar, hidden inside the dark molecular cloud L1527 in mid-infrared light, as it evolves. This vibrant new view [...]

Webb and Hubble Unite: A Breathtaking 3D Journey Through the Pillars of Creation

Space Telescope Science Institute — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 02:31:33 +0000

NASA’s new 3D visualization of the “Pillars of Creation” combines data from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes to provide an immersive experience into these iconic star-birthing clouds. The breathtaking new visualization enables viewers to explore fundamental questions in science, experience how science is done, and discover the universe for themselves. A team from [...]

Surprising Cosmic Alignment Unveiled: Webb Telescope Reveals Stunning Stellar Jets in Serpens Nebula

Space Telescope Science Institute — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 01:26:22 +0000

Alignment of Bipolar Jets Confirms Star Formation Theories Some of the greatest, and most interesting, astronomical discoveries have come as a surprise to researchers, even when examining the most well-studied areas of the sky. Often, it’s new technology or chance timing that result in these discoveries. In a new study of the Serpens Nebula with [...]

The Chemical Cauldron of Creation: JWST’s Insights Into Protoplanetary Disks

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:16:56 +0000

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed a high concentration of hydrocarbons in the protoplanetary disk of a young star with very low mass. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations have revealed abundant hydrocarbons in the protoplanetary disk surrounding a young, very-low-mass star – findings that provide novel insights into the chemical environment [...]

Unexpected Find: Webb Discovers Mystery Sulfur on Distant Planet

Chris Barncard, University of Wisconsin-Madison — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:57:32 +0000

GJ 3470 b is a gas dwarf with unexpected sulfur dioxide in its atmosphere. This discovery provides insights into planet formation and chemical reactions. A surprising yellow haze of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of a gas “dwarf” exoplanet about 96 light years away from our own solar system makes the planet a prime target [...]