Tag: Webb
-
Webb discovers neutron star within supernova remnant
Using the joint NASA, European Space Agency, and Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has found evidence of a neutron star in the remnants of a recent supernova. The supernova, called SN 1987A, was first observed on Feb. 24, 1987, and occurred 160,000 light-years from Earth in the…
-
Webb discovers potential aurorae on brown dwarf
Silently floating through the universe are cosmic objects that are both too large to be planets and too small to be stars. Called brown dwarfs, these substellar objects are among the most captivating objects in the universe, and their low surface temperatures mean that most of the light they emit is infrared and thus can…
-
Webb detects neon in young star system, provides insight into planet formation
In 2008, observations from NASA’s now-retired Spitzer infrared space telescope hinted at the presence of neon within the protoplanetary disk of Sun-like star SZ Chamaeleontis (SZ Cha). However, Spitzer’s instruments could not confirm whether this reading was correct. Over a decade after Spitzer’s results were published, the joint NASA, European Space Agency, and Canadian Space…
-
Using Webb, scientists measure high-speed jet stream in Jupiter’s atmosphere
Scientists recently discovered a high-speed jet stream at Jupiter’s equator using the joint NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope. Webb’s images helped the team of scientists track fine details through the planet’s atmosphere, allowing them to measure these winds for the first time. The newly discovered jet stream will provide scientists with…
-
Using Webb, scientists discover carbon dioxide and methane in habitable-zone exoplanet
Using the joint NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have discovered the presence of carbon-bearing molecules within the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18 b. Methane and carbon dioxide are among these carbon-bearing molecules. The discovery of the molecules is allowing scientists to better understand K2-18 b. The planet has been the subject…
-
Scientists, using Webb, discover water vapor within a planet-forming disk
Using the joint NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, a team of scientists has discovered, for the first time, water vapor within a planet-forming disk. The water vapor, which was found within the inner disk of two circumstellar disks around star PDS 70, is allowing scientists to research the ways by which…
-
Using Webb, scientists discover the most distant active supermassive black hole
Utilizing the infrared-sensitive instruments of the joint NASA/European Space Agency (ESA)/Canadian Space Agency (CSA) James Webb Space Telescope, a group of scientists has discovered the most distant active supermassive black hole to date. Located within a galaxy named CEERS 1019 — that existed just 570 million years after the formation of the universe — the…
-
With Webb, scientists make first detection of carbon molecule in protoplanetary disk
With new data collected by the joint NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of scientists has — for the first time ever — detected a carbon molecule within the protoplanetary disk of a star located in the Orion Nebula. The molecule, called methyl cation (CH3+), is quite unique. The…
-
Webb unveils the secrets of the early universe via deep field, peers into stellar nurseries
With help from the joint NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists are peering deep into the universe and uncovering secrets that were previously hidden from visible and X-ray telescopes. The JWST advanced deep extragalactic survey (JADES) utilized Webb’s incredible deep-field surveying abilities to create a deep field that shows over…
-
Webb directly images young star’s asteroid belt; discovers two additional dusty disks
Using the joint NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, a group of astronomers has directly imaged three dusty disks — the outermost being an asteroid belt — surrounding a young star. The outermost of the disks was first discovered by NASA’s Infrared Astronomical Satellite in 1983 and has since been imaged in detail by the Hubble…