Artist Illustration - LHS 475 b
A whole new world!
41 light-years away is the small, rocky planet LHS 475 b. At 99% of Earth’s diameter, it’s almost exactly the same size as our home world. This marks the first time researchers have used the Webb telescope to confirm an exoplanet.
NASA’s TESS mission hinted at the planet’s existence, making it a target of interest for Webb. Webb’s NIRSpec instrument then captured the planet easily and clearly with just 2 transit observations.
Although Webb data definitively tells us that LHS 475 b is a small rocky world, the existence and composition of its atmosphere is a mystery. The planet is a few hundred degrees warmer than Earth and very close to its star, completing an orbit in just 2 days. However, its red dwarf star is much cooler than our Sun, so scientists theorize an atmosphere is still possible. Additional follow-up observations are scheduled this summer.
Learn more about this exciting new discovery: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-s-webb-confirms-it...
Credits: Illustration - NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI); Science - K. Stevenson, J. Lustig-Yaeger, E. May (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory), G. Fu (Johns Hopkins University), and S. Moran (University of Arizona)
Artist Illustration - LHS 475 b
A whole new world!
41 light-years away is the small, rocky planet LHS 475 b. At 99% of Earth’s diameter, it’s almost exactly the same size as our home world. This marks the first time researchers have used the Webb telescope to confirm an exoplanet.
NASA’s TESS mission hinted at the planet’s existence, making it a target of interest for Webb. Webb’s NIRSpec instrument then captured the planet easily and clearly with just 2 transit observations.
Although Webb data definitively tells us that LHS 475 b is a small rocky world, the existence and composition of its atmosphere is a mystery. The planet is a few hundred degrees warmer than Earth and very close to its star, completing an orbit in just 2 days. However, its red dwarf star is much cooler than our Sun, so scientists theorize an atmosphere is still possible. Additional follow-up observations are scheduled this summer.
Learn more about this exciting new discovery: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-s-webb-confirms-it...
Credits: Illustration - NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI); Science - K. Stevenson, J. Lustig-Yaeger, E. May (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory), G. Fu (Johns Hopkins University), and S. Moran (University of Arizona)