The James Webb Space Telescope recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone by capturing its first direct image of an exoplanet, TWA 7 b, marking a significant advancement in the field of exoplanetary science. Unlike traditional indirect detection methods such as transit photometry or radial velocity, this direct imaging offers unprecedented insights into the physical characteristics and formation processes of exoplanets . TWA 7 b is notable for its relatively low mass—comparable to that of Saturn—which contrasts with previously imaged exoplanets that was typically much larger. Its location within a disk of rocky debris and dust further suggests that the system is in an early developmental stage, estimated to be around six million years old . This discovery enhances our understanding of planetary system evolution and provides a valuable opportunity to study young gas giants in situ.
The source was located in a gap in one of three dust rings that were discovered around TWA 7 by previous ground-based observations. The object’s brightness, color, distance from the star, and position within the ring are consistent with theoretical predictions for a young, cold, Saturn-mass planet that is expected to be sculpting the surrounding debris disk.
"Our observations reveal a strong candidate for a planet shaping the structure of the TWA 7 debris disk, and its position is exactly where we expected to find a planet of this mass," said Anne-Marie Lagrange, CNRS researcher at the Observatoire de Paris-PSL and Université Grenoble Alpes in France, lead author of the paper.
Imaging exoplanets directly remains a huge challenge as they are far less bright than their host star and, as seen from Earth, located very close to their star. To overcome this, Lagrange and colleagues developed a telescopic attachment designed to reproduce the effect of an eclipse, masking the star to make it easier to observe surrounding objects that would otherwise be drowned out.
This allowed them to observe the star TWA7 “pole on” – in effect looking down on its planetary disc from above.
The images reveal three concentric rings of dust and debris around the star – structures that have previously been attributed to unseen “shepherd” planets carving through the disc. In this case, the astronomers were able to make observations of a planet itself, which appears as a brighter source within a narrow ring.
The success of JWST’s coronagraphic imaging capabilities, particularly through the French-produced coronagraph on the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), has been instrumental in isolating the faint light emitted by TWA 7 b from its host star’s brightness . This technological innovation enables astronomers to observe exoplanets at greater distances and lower masses than ever before. Moreover, previous milestones such as imaging HIP 65426 b have laid foundational groundwork; however, TWA 7 b represents a new frontier owing to its smaller size and younger age . The ability to directly observe these objects not only validates JWST’s advanced instrumentation but also promises transformative contributions to future research on planetary atmospheres and system architectures.
Read more
WhatsApp Rolls Out AI Message Summaries for Quicker Chat Previews HDMI 2.2 Debuts With Ultra96 Cables: 16K Support, 96 Gbps Bandwidth, and Backward Compatibility
Sara H
Also on site :
- WhatsApp Rolls Out AI Message Summaries for Quicker Chat Previews
- Webb Telescope Achieves Milestone With First Direct Image of Exoplanet
- Dune Director Denis Villeneuve to Helm Next James Bond Film at Amazon MGM