The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has commenced its first full operation, opening up amazing worlds on thousands of recently discovered planets. Among them is WASP-107B, located 1,300 light-years from Earth, which has surprised scientists with its atmosphere composed of quartz vapors instead of water drops. Another unique planet is GJ1214, which is a “sauna” eight times heavier than Earth and has a dense atmosphere rich in steam.
In addition, giant planets in Orion’s nebula, the size of Jupiter, have been found to swim freely in space without being bound to any star, a surprising discovery to astronomers. These groundbreaking findings have been made possible thanks to the JWST, which was launched into space in December 2021. Equipped with a 6.5-meter gold mirror and complex tools operating at temperatures close to absolute zero, this $10 billion telescope provides a unique opportunity to study exoplanets by observing in the infrared range.
Previously, the known planets in our solar system have been supplemented by thousands of exoplanets, reaching a total of 5,566, thanks to the efforts of astronomers working with the JWST, according to the NASA archive.
One of the initial targets for study with JWST was the Trappist-1 system, consisting of seven small rocky worlds, three of which lie in the habitable zone. However, tests on the two planets closest to the star have shown that they either lack an atmosphere or have an exceedingly thin one.
Astronomers using the JWST are currently searching for signs of extraterrestrial life, focusing on biological markers such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, and methane. However, even if these elements are found in the atmospheres of exoplanets, determining the presence of life still poses a challenge as such data is only indirect.
The JWST is expected to have a long lifespan, as it has consumed less fuel than anticipated for maneuvering in orbit around the Sun, potentially doubling its expected service life up to 20 years. Despite this, its performance will gradually deteriorate over time due to the effects of meteorites and cosmic rays.
Astronomers are confident that the most exciting discoveries with the JWST are still to come, particularly in the exploration of exoplanets. These discoveries are expected to reveal astounding information about the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres and uncover a multitude of strange and extraordinary worlds.