Planets, like those in our solar system, form in a bottom-up process where small bits of rock and ice clump together and grow larger over time. But the heftier the […]
NIRCam
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
The Tale Of The 3 Planets: 3D Cloud Feedback Enhances The Spectral Diversity Of Warm Jupiters
JWST has shown a large diversity in warm Jupiter spectra, despite only small variations in the planetary parameters. However, the main driver of this diversity remains unclear. We aim to […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Identification of CS2 and Evidence for Carbon-Sulfur Chemical Coupling in a Warm Giant Exoplanet Atmosphere
Transmission spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revealing growing chemical complexity in giant exoplanet atmospheres. Of particular interest is sulfur, which had essentially no observational constraints before […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Webb Redefines The Dividing Line Between Planets And Stars
Planets, like those in our Solar System, form in a bottom-up process where small bits of rock and ice clump together and grow larger over time. But the heftier the […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Pair Of Planet-forming Disks
This month’s ESA/Webb Picture of the Month offers us a two-for-one on brand new stars — with some potential planets thrown in as well! This visual highlights views from the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Spatial Analysis Of PAH Molecules In The Pillars Of Creation Using JWST
I present a spatially resolved analysis of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) population in the Pillars of Creation within the Eagle Nebula (M16) using the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Astrochemistry: JWST Locates Supernova Progenitor Was Surrounded By Carbon-rich Dust
For the first time, astronomers have used images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to identify a supernova progenitor that could not be seen by any other telescope: a […]
![The best-fit PICASO retrieval temperature-pressure (TP) profile is plotted as a solid blue line with the temperature-pressure knots indicated in solid blue circles. The light blue shaded region indicates the 3σ confidence interval of the retrieved TP profiles. The tightly constrained TP profiles in the 1–10 bar range match with the peak of the 3–5 µmcontribution function plotted in the right panel. The retrieved TP profile based on MIRI-LRS 5–11.7 µmspectrum in Voyer et al. (2025) is plotted in solid purple along with the 3σ uncertainty plotted as light-purple shaded region. The condensation curves of H2O, Na2S, and KCl at solar metallicity are plotted with blue, orange, and green dashed lines respectively. For reference, the solid black line shows the TP profile of the best-fit Elf Owl grid model ([M/H] = -1, C/O = 1.5, log(g) = 3.23, log(Kzz) = 7, Teff= 350 K). Right panel: The contribution function map of the best-fit PICASO retrieval results shows that most of the 3–5 µmflux is emitted from 0.1–10 bar region. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/JWST-Spectral-Retrieval.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
JWST Spectral Retrieval Of Cold Directly Imaged Planet WD0806 b And The First
WD0806 b is a rare exoplanet companion orbiting a white dwarf, currently with a projected orbital distance of 2500 au. The Spitzer mid-IR photometry suggests that the temperature is as […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Astrochemistry: Webb Reveals The Helix Nebula In Glistening Detail
One of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, the Helix Nebula has become a favorite among astronomers using ground- and space-based telescopes to study the final moments of a dying […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Fomalhaut, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Hubble Sees Asteroids Colliding at Nearby Star for First Time
Like a game of cosmic bumper cars, scientists think the early days of our solar system were a time of violent turmoil, with planetesimals, asteroids, and comets smashing together and […]