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A New Planet Spotted: James Webb Telescope's Latest Discovery

EarthThursday, June 26, 2025
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The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made another groundbreaking discovery. This time, it's not a distant galaxy or a nebula, but a planet outside our solar system. The planet, named TWA 7b, is about the size of Saturn and orbits a young red dwarf star. What makes this discovery special is that it's the smallest exoplanet ever directly observed. Finding exoplanets is tough because they are small and close to their stars. Usually, scientists use the transit method to find them. This involves watching the planet pass in front of its star and measuring the dimming light. But this time, scientists used a different technique. They simulated an eclipse to filter out the star's light and spotted the exoplanet's faint infrared glow. The JWST also revealed three distinct debris rings around the star. In one of these rings, the researchers found a faint infrared source. They believe this is a young planet that is just starting to affect debris in its orbital path. The planet is about 50 times farther from the star than Earth is to the Sun. This discovery is exciting because it's the first time an exoplanet the size of the planets in our solar system has been directly observed. The JWST has the potential to spot even smaller exoplanets. However, scientists still can't directly observe Earth-like planets in the habitable zone. The hunt for life beyond our solar system will need to wait for even more powerful telescopes.
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