AIn addition to all its capabilities, the James Webb Space Telescope has tools that allow it to analyze the atmospheres of other planets. Well, a new study to be published in the scientific journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters indicates that an exoplanet with water vapor has been found.
How does the Digital Trends websitethe exoplanet in question goes by the name of GJ 486 b, a rocky planet slightly larger than Earth and orbiting what is called a Red Dwarf, that is, a star that is approaching the end of its life.
The researchers believe that there are two hypotheses: either GJ 486 b does indeed have water vapor in the atmosphere, or it is the result of the outer layer of the star it orbits. However, the researchers are currently analyzing the data and making use of other James Webb instruments to reach a final decision.
“Finding water vapor in the atmosphere of a rocky planet would represent a major advance for exoplanetary science. But we have to be careful and make sure the star is not to blame.”notes one of the researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Kevin Stevenson.
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