Webb Telescope Captures Its First Direct Image of an Exoplanet
For the first time in its young lifespan, the Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct snapshot of a planet outside our solar system, otherwise known as an exoplanet. About 6-12 times the size of Jupiter, NASA shared the first glimpse of the gas giant HIP 65426 b on Thursday. In a series of stills captured by the space observatory, 65426 b can be seen in four infrared wavelengths.
"The white star is the location of the host star. Its light is blocked by Webb's coronagraphs — sets of tiny masks that block out starlight, making it possible to see planets around them. The bar shapes in the NIRCam views are artifacts of the telescope optics, not physical objects," NASA said in an Instagram post sharing the pictures.
Because it's far from the being the dynamite image returned of Jupiter earlier this summer, NASA explained just how distant the planet is away. Out amongst the cosmos now is Voyager, a probe that travels at an astonishing 10 miles per second. If we were to travel at that same rate, scientists say it would take upwards of 73,000 years to reach 65426 b.
"Obtaining this image felt like digging for space treasure. At first all I could see was light from the star, but with careful image processing I was able to remove that light and uncover the planet," added Aarynn Carter, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz. "I think what's most exciting is that we've only just begun," Carter said. "There are many more images of exoplanets to come that will shape our overall understanding of their physics, chemistry, and formation. We may even discover previously unknown planets, too."
"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. "It was really impressive how well the Webb coronagraphs worked to suppress the light of the host star."