Characterizing rocky exoplanets is a central endeavor of astronomy, and yet the search for atmospheres on rocky exoplanets has hitherto resulted in either tight upper limits on the atmospheric mass […]
MIRI
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Webb Space Telescope Finds Ethanol And Other Organic Molecules Surrounding Young Protostars
What do margaritas, vinegar, and ant stings have in common? They contain chemical ingredients that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has identified surrounding two young protostars known as IRAS 2A […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Transiting Exoplanets With The Mid-InfraRed JWST Instrument: From Simulations To Observations
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has now started its exploration of exoplanetary worlds. In particular, the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) with its Low-Resolution Spectrometer (LRS) carries out transit, eclipse, and […]
Posted inGas Giants, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Saturn
Water-Ice Dominated Spectra of Saturn’s Rings and Small Moons from JWST
JWST measured the infrared spectra of Saturn’s rings and several of its small moons (Epimetheus, Pandora, Telesto and Pallene) as part of Guaranteed Time Observation program 1247.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Hunt For Complex Cyanides In Protostellar Ices With JWST: Tentative Detection Of CH3CN And C2H5CN
Nitrogen-bearing complex organic molecules have been commonly detected in the gas phase but not yet in interstellar ices. This has led to the long-standing question of whether these molecules form […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
JWST-TST High Contrast: Asymmetries, Dust Populations And Hints Of A Collision In The β Pictoris Disk With NIRCam And MIRI
We present the first JWST MIRI and NIRCam observations of the prominent debris disk around Beta Pictoris. Coronagraphic observations in 8 filters spanning from 1.8 to 23~μm provide an unprecedentedly […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Webb Telescope Discovers Dusty ‘Cat’s Tail’ In The Beta Pictoris System
Beta Pictoris, a young planetary system located just 63 light-years away, continues to intrigue scientists even after decades of in-depth study.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report
GJ 367b Is A Dark, Hot, Airless Sub-Earth
We present the mid-infrared (5-12 μm) phase curve of GJ 367b observed by the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). GJ 367b is a hot (T_eq=1370 […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Luminous Galaxies In JWST CEERS Data
It has been an unanswered question how many dusty galaxies have been undetected from the state-of-the-art observational surveys.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Webb Study Reveals That Rocky Planets Can Form In Extreme Environments
An international team of astronomers have used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to provide the first observation of water and other molecules in the inner, rocky-planet-forming regions of a […]