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The James Webb Telescope has discovered a planet orbiting a star other than the sun for the first time. The telescope also took an image of it. The existence of the so-called exoplanet has already been predicted, but now there is actually an image of it.
Disclaimer: The main photo accompanying this article is not that taken by the James Webb Telescope. It’s an illustration, based on what we know about the exoplanet.
The planet LHS 475 b is located in the constellation of Octant, 41 light years from Earth. NASA had already calculated that the planet should be approximately at this location. Thanks to the powerful James Webb Telescope, scientists can now study the planet.
The planet is almost the same size as Earth and is also made entirely of rock. This is important because it tells us more about the formation of rocky planets. In addition to rock, planets can also (largely) be made of gas or ice.
LHS 475 b orbits a red dwarf every two days. It is a smaller star that cannot be seen with the naked eye from Earth. Due to the slow burning of gases, they exist much longer than medium-sized stars such as our sun.
Life as we know it seems impossible on the exoplanet. The temperature at the surface is several hundred degrees higher than that of the Earth. It is also not known what gases make up the atmosphere, if the planet already has an atmosphere. This is still being researched.
The discovery generated great excitement among space agencies. “The discovery of this planet holds great promise for the future,” NASA said in a statement. “Thanks to the Webb Telescope, we are learning more and more about worlds like our Earth beyond our own solar system.”
Wat is de James Webb-telescoop?
- De James Webb is gemaakt door de Verenigde Staten, Europa en Canada en werd in 2021 op Eerste Kerstdag gelanceerd.
- De telescoop is de opvolger van ruimtetelescoop Hubble. De James Webb kan verder kijken en sneller beelden vastleggen.
- Eind januari 2022 kwam de telescoop aan op zo’n 1,5 miljoen kilometer van de aarde.
- Daar maakt de telescoop haarscherpe foto’s van het heelal. De telescoop is op zoek naar planeten waar misschien leven mogelijk is, verre sterrenstelsels en sporen van de oerknal.
