NASA’s Webb Telescope Measures Exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 B’s Temperature
NASA’s?James Webb Space Telescope ?has enabled an international team of researchers to determine the temperature of TRAPPIST-1 b, a rocky exoplanet. The measurement of temperature relies on the planet’s emission of thermal energy, which is in the form of infrared light detected by the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) of the Webb telescope. The team’s findings reveal that TRAPPIST-1 b has a dayside temperature of around 500 kelvins (roughly 450 degrees Fahrenheit), suggesting that it lacks a substantial atmosphere. This groundbreaking discovery represents the first detection of light emitted by an exoplanet as small and cool as those found in our solar system. An important milestone is determining the potential of planets orbiting small active stars, like TRAPPIST-1, to maintain the necessary atmospheres to sustain life. Furthermore, this discovery highlights the potential of Webb’s MIRI to characterize temperate, Earth-sized exoplanets.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has enabled researchers to measure the temperature of TRAPPIST-1 b, a rocky exoplanet, using infrared light.
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