James Webb Space Telescope of NASA has acquired the first direct picture of an extrasolar planet. NASA released photos of the exoplanet HIP 65426 b viewed through four distinct light filters on Thursday.
NASA quotes Sasha Hinkley, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, as saying, “This is a revolutionary moment, not just for Webb but also for astronomy in general.” It was quite remarkable how well the Webb coronagraphs suppressed the brightness of the host star.
NASA said that Hinkley headed the multinational team that observed HIP 65426 b, which included representatives of the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
James Webb Space Telescope of NASA captured the first direct picture of an extrasolar planet. Telescope for Space James Webb
According to NASA, the exoplanet is located 355 light-years from Earth and has between six and twelve times the mass of Jupiter. It is just around 15 to 20 million years old, which is young for a planet. NASA said that Earth is 4.5 billion years old in comparison.
NASA said that the exoplanet is a gas giant with no rocky surface, making it inhospitable.
HIP 65426 b was detected for the first time in 2017, however the Webb Telescope captured the most detailed photographs of the exoplanet to date.
NASA reports that capturing direct photographs of exoplanets is difficult due to the brightness of the stars they orbit. NASA noted that since HIP 65426 b is around 100 times farther from its host star than Earth is from the Sun, Webb was able to catch the planet apart from its star.
Aarynn Carter, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz who led the study of the photos, said, “Obtaining this image was like unearthing a cosmic treasure.” “At first, I could only see the star’s light, but after meticulous picture processing, I was able to exclude the starlight and reveal the planet.”
The Webb Telescope, the most costly scientific instrument ever constructed, was launched earlier this year to investigate the beginnings of the cosmos. Webb has already sent the most comprehensive photos of space ever seen, and scientists are eager to integrate its findings with previous discoveries to continue putting together the history of our universe.
Carter continued, “I think what’s most exciting is that we’re just getting started.” “There will be many more exoplanet photos in the future that will influence our knowledge of their physics, chemistry, and genesis. Even previously undiscovered planets may be discovered.”
Reporting was supplied by Sophie Lewis.