Webb Space Telescope Discovers Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet’s Atmosphere | Science

The discovery is not proof that life exists on the planet. According to the researchers, the measurement is an important step in the search for planets where life is possible.

An international group of astronomers made the discovery. Among them are scientists from the Leiden Observatory, the SRON research institute and the University of Amsterdam. The research will soon be published in the leading science magazine Nature.

Scientists examined the planet WASP-39 b. It is about the same size as Jupiter and about the same weight as Saturn. The temperature on the planet is around 900 degrees. This is because the planet is close to its star, about 700 light-years from Earth. The planet is also called Bocaprins, named after a beach in Aruba.

As the planet passes in front of the star, light from the star shines through the planet’s atmosphere. James Webb captures this light and measures all its constituents, thus determining the composition of the atmosphere.

The James Webb was launched on Christmas Day and arrived at its job site 1.5 million miles from Earth in late January. It was developed by the United States, Europe and Canada, as a successor to the famous Hubble Space Telescope. The project will cost a total of around 8 billion euros. In the Netherlands, the University of Leiden and the research institute TNO are involved in the mission, among others.