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The James Webb telescope discovers traces of water vapor on an exoplanet

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Astronomers have found clues of water vapor on a rocky exoplanet examined thanks to james webb space telescopebut there are doubts about it may indicate that it has an atmosphere or comes from its own starand determining this will require further investigation.

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European Space Agency (ESA), which operates elJames Webb together with the American NASA et al Canadian Space Agency (CSA), explains in a statement that although water vapor had been observed on gaseous exoplanets, no atmosphere had been detected around a rocky exoplanet, such as andIGJ 486b.

Computer models made from NIRSpec infrared spectrograph data show this the signal could come from a water-rich atmospherebut also star spots of the red star around which it orbits every two Earth days.

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This graph shows the transmission spectrum obtained from Webb's observations of the rocky exoplanet GJ 486 b.  Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

This graph shows the transmission spectrum obtained from Webb’s observations of the rocky exoplanet GJ 486 b. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

To determine which of the two hypotheses is true, further observations will have to be made with other instruments of the space telescope to determine the origin of the water signal.

Its star is cool enough to contain water vapor in its photosphere, the signal of which would mimic that of a planetary atmosphere which, if it really existed, would have to be constantly replenished by volcanoes spewing vapor from the planet’s interior.

Furthermore, further observations would be necessary in such a case to estimate the amount of water.

The GJ 486b is a planet 30% larger than Earth and three times as massive, rocky, which is very close to its star and has a surface temperature of about 430 degrees Celsius.

In future research, the James Webb Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) will be used to observe the day side. According to ESA, if the planet has no atmosphere or is very final, the hottest part of the day will be directly under the star.

However, if that hottest spot were displaced, that would indicate the existence of an atmosphere capable of circulating heat.

Eventually, another shorter-wavelength infrared space telescope spectrograph, the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectograph (NIRISS), will need to be used to distinguish between the two planet-atmosphere or stellar-spot hypotheses. EFE extension

Source: Clarin

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