He NASA’s James Webb Telescope it became a key technological element for space exploration. Since its launch, in December 2021, it has surprised the scientific community with its vision of the vast universe.
Recently, scientists published a new finding thanks to the James Webb Telescope: water vapor in a world far from the Solar System. They used the Near Infrared Spectograph (NIRSpec).
The study was headed by Sarah Moran, from the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Moran explains that the rocky exoplanet GJ 486 b shows “disconcerting signs of water vapor”. This body is located near a star, and has a temperature of 430 degrees Celsius.
The researchers point out that if water vapor is associated with the planet, It is that it has an atmosphere, despite the extremely high temperature and the proximity of its star.
“We see a signal,” Moran says in a NASA statement, “and it’s almost certainly due to water. But we can’t yet tell if that water is part of the planet’s atmosphere, meaning it has an atmosphere, or if we’re just seeing a signature of water coming from the star.”
This is the exoplanet GJ 486 b, studied thanks to the James Webb Telescope
Compared to planet Earth, the exoplanet GJ 486 b is 30% larger and three times more massive. That is, it has a gravity greater than that of our planet.
GJ 486 b revolves around a red dwarf star in just under 1.5 Earth days, and it is possible that it is blocked by mateas, with a permanent day side and a perpetual night side.
Ryan MacDonald, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, notes: “We did not see evidence that the planet crossed any starspots during the transits. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t spots on other parts of the star.”
“That is exactly the physical scenario which would print this water signal in the data and it could end up looking like a planetary atmosphere,” he added.
Scientists hope to delve further into GJ 486 b using the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) of the James Webb Telescope, in order to observe the day side of the exoplanet.
“If the planet has no atmosphere,” the NASA statement states, “or only a thin atmosphere, the hottest part of the dayside is expected to be directly below the star. However, if the hottest spot is displaced, that would indicate an atmosphere that can circulate heat.”