The James-Webb telescope detects for the first time CO2 in the atmosphere of an exoplanet
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CO2 has been detected in the atmosphere of an exoplanet by the James-Webb space telescope, a discovery which demonstrates its immense capabilities and which excites scientists for the continuation of its observations.
The planet in question is a hot gas giant where life as we know it would be impossible, but this discovery supports the idea that such observations can also be made on rocky planets – with the aim of determining whether one of them shelters favorable conditions for life.
“For me, this is a door that opens for future studies of super-Earths, even Earths”Pierre-Olivier Lagage, astrophysicist at the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and one of the very many co-authors of this work, to be published in the scientific journal, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday. Nature. “My first reaction: wow, we really have a chance of detecting the atmospheres of Earth-sized planets”, commented on Twitter astrophysics professor Natalie Batalha of the University of California at Santa Cruz.
“A milestone in the science of exoplanets”
The detection of CO2 will also make it possible to learn more about the formation of this planet, named WASP-39 b and discovered in 2011, said NASA. Located 700 light-years away, it’s about a quarter the mass of Jupiter, and it’s very close to its sun. It was chosen because several criteria make its observation easier, at a time when scientists are still evaluating the capabilities of the telescope, which revealed its first images less than two months ago.
WASP-39 b passes very regularly in front of its sun (it goes around it in four days), and its atmosphere is extended. For his observations, James-Webb uses the transit method: when the planet passes in front of its star, he captures the tiny variation in luminosity that results. He then analyzed the light “filtered” through the planet’s atmosphere. The different molecules present in the atmosphere leave specific signatures, which make it possible to determine their composition.
The Hubble and Spitzer telescopes had already detected water vapor, sodium and potassium in the atmosphere of this planet, but James-Webb was able to go further thanks to its extraordinary sensitivity in the infrared. In the NASA statement, Zafar Rustamkulov of Johns Hopkins University recounted his feelings when the presence of CO2 became clear: “It was a special moment, a milestone in the science of exoplanets. »
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