James Webb Space Telescope captures young exoplanet before decade-long obscuration

Summary: Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have successfully imaged the young exoplanet AF Leporis b before it becomes obscured by its star for up to a decade. This marks the lowest mass exoplanet directly observed by JWST.

AF Lep b, located 88 light-years from Earth, is about 23 million years old and has a mass 3.2 times that of Jupiter. The team had to act quickly as the planet's orbit is moving closer to its star, making it harder to observe.

The observations revealed an active atmosphere with unexpected levels of carbon monoxide. This achievement demonstrates JWST's capabilities and sets the stage for future discoveries in exoplanet research.

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