With a new generation of observatories coming online this decade, the process of characterizing exoplanet atmospheres will need to be reinvented.
JWST
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
A High Angular Resolution View Of The PAH Emission In Seyfert Galaxies Using JWST/MRS Data
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carbon-based molecules, which are ubiquitous in a variety of astrophysical objects and environments. In this work, we use JWST/MIRI MRS spectroscopy of 3 Seyferts to […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
High-Resolution Spectral Models Of TRAPPIST-1e Seen As A Pale Blue Dot For ELT And JWST Observations
Rocky exoplanets orbiting in the habitable zone (HZ) of nearby M dwarfs provide unique opportunities for characterizing their atmospheres and searching for biosignature gases. TRAPPIST-1e, a temperate Earth-sized exoplanet in […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Carbon Dioxide Observed In Exoplanet WASP-39 b’s Atmosphere By James Webb Space Telescope
A team of planetary scientists, including Arizona State University Associate Professor Michael Line, have detected carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a gas giant exoplanet with the James Webb Space […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Webb Space Telescope Identification Of Carbon Dioxide In An Exoplanet Atmosphere
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key chemical species that is found in a wide range of planetary atmospheres. In the context of exoplanets, CO2 is an indicator of the metal […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
Rogue Planets And Brown Dwarfs: Predicting Populations Of Free-floating Planetary Mass Objects Observable With JWST
Free-floating (or rogue) planets are planets that are liberated (or ejected) from their host systems. Although simulations predict their existence in substantial numbers, direct observational evidence for free-floating planets with […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Press Release
Impact of Non-Uniform Thermal Structure on the Interpretation of Exoplanet Emission Spectra
The determination of atmospheric structure and molecular abundances of planetary atmospheres via spectroscopy involves direct comparisons between models and data. While varying in sophistication, most model-spectra comparisons fundamentally assume “1D” […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Habitable Worlds With JWST: Transit Spectroscopy of the TRAPPIST-1 System?
The recent discovery of three Earth-sized, potentially habitable planets around a nearby cool star, TRAPPIST-1, has provided three key targets for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Depending on […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Detectability of Free Floating Planets in Open Clusters with JWST
Recent observations have shown the presence of extra-solar planets in Galactic open stellar clusters, as in the Praesepe (M44). These systems provide a favorable environment for planetary formation due to […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
A Search For Rocky Planets Transiting Brown Dwarfs
Exoplanetary science has reached a historic moment. The James Webb Space Telescope will be capable of probing the atmospheres of rocky planets, and perhaps even search for biologically produced gases. […]