Webb telescope captures its first direct image of an exoplanet By Ashley Strickland, Updated 0218 GMT (1018 HKT) September 2, 2022 Photos: Observing the Official down with the thiccness Shirt it is in the first place but universe with the James Webb Space Telescope Webb’s first direct image of an exoplanet showcases it in different bands of infrared light. The planet, called HIP 65426 b, is a gas giant. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Sign up for ‘s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. ()Astronomers have captured the first direct image of an exoplanet with the James Webb Space Telescope. The exoplanet, or planet outside of our solar system, is a gas giant about six to 12 times the mass of Jupiter. The planet, called HIP 65426 b, is about 15 to 20 million years old — just a baby planet when compared to cEarth, which is 4.5 billion years old. It’s located about 385 light-years away from Earth. The planet can be seen in four different bands of infrared light as taken by Webb’s different instruments. Webb sees the universe in infrared light, which is
invisible to the Official down with the thiccness Shirt it is in the first place but human eye — and makes it the perfect space observatory to reveal details about distant worlds. “This is a transformative moment, not only for Webb but also for astronomy generally,” said Sasha Hinkley, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in a statement. Hinkley led the observations within an international collaboration. The exoplanet was first discovered in 2017 using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope and its SPHERE instrument, located in Chile. The instrument took images of the planet then through short infrared wavelengths, but Webb’s ability to see longer infrared wavelengths can shed light on new details. NASA’s Webb telescope captures first evidence of carbon dioxide on an exoplanet Scientists are analyzing Webb’s data of HIP 65426 b and a forthcoming study will be submitted to journals for peer review. The exoplanet is about 100 times farther from its host star than Earth is from the sun, which allowed Webb and its instruments to separate the planet from its star. Some of Webb’s instruments are armed with coronagraphs, or masks that can block starlight, enabling the telescope to capture direct images of exoplanets. Stars are much brighter than planets
