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 […]
NIRCam
![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 […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Proxima Centauri, Saturn, tau Ceti, Uranus
On the Detection Of Exorings in Reflected Light With JWST NIRCam
When directly imaging a cold giant exoplanet hosting a ring system, the reflected light from the rings can outshine the planet’s thermal emission and reflected-light in the near-infrared.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Interstellar, Status Report
Watching Planet Formation In The IRAS 04302+2247 Disc
With Webb, researchers can study the properties and growth of dust grains within protoplanetary discs like this one, shedding light on the earliest stages of planet formation.
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Panchromatic Characterization Of The Evening And Morning Atmosphere Of WASP-107 b
Limb-resolved transmission spectroscopy has the potential to transform our understanding of exoplanetary atmospheres. By separately measuring the transmission spectra of the evening and morning limbs, these atmospheric regions can be […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Follow-Up Exploration Of The TWA 7 Planet-Disk System With JWST NIRCam
The young M-star TWA 7 hosts a bright and near face-on debris disk, which has been imaged from the optical to the submillimeter.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Frigid Exoplanet 14 Herculis c Is In A Strange Orbit
A planetary system described as abnormal, chaotic, and strange by researchers has come into clearer view with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Using Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), researchers have successfully […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Precise Metallicity and Carbon-to-Oxygen Ratio for a Warm Giant Exoplanet from its Panchromatic JWST Emission Spectrum
WASP-80 b, a warm sub-Jovian (equilibrium temperature ~820 K, 0.5 Jupiter masses), presents an opportunity to characterize a rare gas giant exoplanet around a low-mass star.