The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully captured direct images of four young gas giant planets located in the HR 8799 star system, about 130 light years away. Recent observations have revealed the presence of carbon dioxide in their atmospheres, suggesting these planets formed similarly to Jupiter and Saturn. This breakthrough, showcased in The Astrophysical Journal, highlights the composition of these distant worlds, which indicates a wealth of heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen, and iron. Employing a coronagraph to eliminate starlight, astronomers have made this remarkable achievement possible, emphasizing the rarity of direct exoplanet imaging.
Astronomers have achieved an impressive feat by using the James Webb Space Telescope to capture direct images of four young gas giant planets in the HR 8799 system.
These observations provide compelling evidence of carbon dioxide in their atmospheres, suggesting they formed similarly to Jupiter and Saturn.
The detection of carbon dioxide signifies the presence of heavier elements, indicating that these planets have complex atmospheres that might reveal much about their formation.
Using a coronagraph, the team was able to block the star's brightness to focus on the faint light from the exoplanets, which is generally challenging.
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