JWST Archives

The planetary direct-extracted spectrum extraction steps. Top left: The original stellar spectral matrix. The red dashed lines indicate T1 and T4, while the white dashed lines mark T2 and T3. Bottom left: The master stellar spectrum, derived by averaging all spectra within the eclipse phase (T23). Top right: The planetary residual flux matrix, obtained by dividing the original flux matrix by the master stellar spectrum. Bottom right: The final WASP-18b direct-extracted spectrum (black) and the Gaussian filtered spectrum (light blue). -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Detection Of CO, H2O, And OH In WASP-18b With JWST/NIRISS Using Direct-Extracted Spectra And Cross-Correlation

by Keith CowingJune 2, 2026June 2, 2026

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revolutionized the characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres, offering unprecedented sensitivity to probe their chemical and physical properties.

Left: GO 2433’s F770W map of NGC 891, with the H2 S (1) maps for the four MRS pointings in our study, in colour. The contours in the background and inset images are F770W surface brightnesses. The white cross marks the centre of the galaxy. Right: Total intensity maps for a few key dust features in all observations. The maps are obtained by fitting a 1D model to each pixel independently, and summing the intensities of all sub-features belonging to the same complex. Because the 11.2 µm feature dominates the emission, each map is shown with its own scaling; we focus on the variations within each maps rather than the absolute intensity values. Non-fit pixels, skipped by PAHFIT, are shown in white. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Survival Of Very Small Carbonaceous Dust Grains In The Inner-CGM Of NGC 891 From JWST/MIRI MRS

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2026May 28, 2026

We present new spectroscopic observations of the inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) of NGC 891 taken with the Mid-Infrared Imager/Medium Resolution Spectroscopy instrument onboard JWST, in four positions: two near the […]

Schematic overview of the interior model of Trappist1f,g,h. The ice I layer is divided into a conductive and a convective sublayer. The thermal model determines the thickness of the conductive and convective layers, Rice,I , RHPI, and Qeq. The tidal model computes the tidal heating rates in the HPI, and the mantle. The layer boundaries are not to scale. Note that the convective layer -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Interior-Atmosphere Coupling on TRAPPIST-1 f, g, and h: Cryovolcanic Water Exospheres and Infrared Detectability

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2026May 28, 2026

We investigate the interior structures and cryovolcanic observability of the exoplanets TRAPPIST-1f, g, and h. Our aim is to determine which interior configurations can sustain subsurface liquid water oceans in […]

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report

Exploring Space Weather From Young Solar-like Stars as Windows to Exoplanetary Habitability

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2026May 28, 2026

Young solar-like stars are efficient generators of magnetic activity, superflares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and stellar energetic particles. These phenomena drive the early evolution of stars and shape the habitability […]

The logarithmic number ratios of elemental abundances (ordered in increasing volatility/decreasing condensation temperature)

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

From Hubble to HWO: Bridging the Frontier of White Dwarf Exoplanet Science

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2026May 28, 2026

White dwarf stars, the endpoint of stellar evolution for 97% of stars in our Milky Way, offer a unique and powerful window into the bulk elemental composition of rocky exoplanetary […]

Spectral characterization of Chiron’s surface composition. a Comparison of the bestfit spectral model of the surface composition (red) with the measured spectrum (black). The surface is best described by an intimate mixture of water ice in both amorphous and crystalline phases, carbon dioxide ice, and tholin-like materials. b Residuals between the model and the data show an excellent fit, with a root mean square deviation that is just 1% higher than the average scatter in the data. c Zoomed-in view of the complex organic absorption feature spanning 3.3–3.6 µm, with the individual component bands indicated by dashed lines. Comparison between the measured spectrum and synthetic spectra of several candidate species, convolved to the spectral resolution of the data, points to C3H8 and/or ice tholins produced by the irradiation of H2O ice and C2H6 as the most plausible candidates for the observed organic feature. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

JWST Reveals Anomalously Enhanced Methane Outgassing From Below Chiron’s Water Ice And Carbon Dioxide Bearing Surface

by Keith CowingMay 26, 2026May 26, 2026

Centaurs are inward-scattered Kuiper belt objects, with some exhibiting comet-like activity. The physical mechanisms powering this activity remain poorly understood, with carbon monoxide (CO) sublimation or the crystallization of amorphous […]

Protoplanetary disk images (top row) and scattered-/transmitted-light spectra (bottom-left and bottom-middle) obtained from the radiative-transfer simulations, together with the crystallinity dependence of their Fresnel-feature heights (bottom-right). For the edge-on case, the Fresnel-feature height is measured in absolute value of feature depth. Alt text: Theoretical images, spectra, and Fresnel feature height of the protoplanetary disks. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Constraints On The Crystallinity Of Water Ice In Planet-forming Disks From Infrared Scattered-Light Spectra

by Keith CowingMay 23, 2026May 23, 2026

The crystallinity of water ice not only records the thermal history experienced by an astronomical body, but also affects the composition of forming planets by controlling the trapping of volatile […]

Artistic representation of WASP-94 A b. Clouds build as air flows over the dark side of the planet, reaching a large swell by daybreak. The clouds dissipate on the dayside, leaving clear skies in the early evening. Image courtesy of Hannah Robbins/Johns Hopkins University

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Astronomers Observe Exoplanet Atmospheres With New Cloud-detecting Method

by Keith CowingMay 22, 2026May 22, 2026

Every morning, clouds roll in, and by evening, they have cleared off. This sounds like a weather forecast for a coastal city here on Earth — but it’s for WASP-94A […]

Artist's impression of a gas giant planet orbiting its distant host star. New research, led by astronomers at Penn State and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to analyze the atmosphere of a gas giant planet about the size of Saturn but with Earth-like temperatures and found it to be rich in methane. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Atmosphere Of Saturn-sized Planet With Earth-like Temperature Contains Methane

by Keith CowingMay 21, 2026May 21, 2026

A planet that is about the size of Saturn, but with a temperature more like Earth’s, has an atmosphere rich in methane, according to a new study using NASA’s James […]

Diagram of the dominant chemical reaction pathways in our photochemical network.

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Hycean Interpretation of K2-18b Supported by Photochemical Atmospheric Compositional

by Keith CowingMay 20, 2026May 20, 2026

The nature of the sub-Neptune K2-18b is debated between Hycean and mini-Neptune interpretations.

JWST

Detection Of CO, H2O, And OH In WASP-18b With JWST/NIRISS Using Direct-Extracted Spectra And Cross-Correlation

Survival Of Very Small Carbonaceous Dust Grains In The Inner-CGM Of NGC 891 From JWST/MIRI MRS

Interior-Atmosphere Coupling on TRAPPIST-1 f, g, and h: Cryovolcanic Water Exospheres and Infrared Detectability

Exploring Space Weather From Young Solar-like Stars as Windows to Exoplanetary Habitability

From Hubble to HWO: Bridging the Frontier of White Dwarf Exoplanet Science

JWST Reveals Anomalously Enhanced Methane Outgassing From Below Chiron’s Water Ice And Carbon Dioxide Bearing Surface

Constraints On The Crystallinity Of Water Ice In Planet-forming Disks From Infrared Scattered-Light Spectra

Astronomers Observe Exoplanet Atmospheres With New Cloud-detecting Method

Atmosphere Of Saturn-sized Planet With Earth-like Temperature Contains Methane

A Hycean Interpretation of K2-18b Supported by Photochemical Atmospheric Compositional

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,221 16 October 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)

SwRI Staff Contribute To New Ideas About Origins Of Uranus And Neptune

A Voyage Into The Slow-motion World Of Earth’s Deep Seas

Rosalind Franklin Rover Stand-In Tackles A Tilted Descent

Correlative Microstructural Analysis of a Weathered Nantan Meteorite Fragment