JWST detects carbon dioxide in exoplanetary atmospheres

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made a significant discovery in exoplanet research. It has identified carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of gas giant planets outside our solar system for the first time. The discovery was made while studying the HR 8799 system, located 130 light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. This system is known for having four giant planets orbiting a young star that is about 30 million years old and 1.5 times the mass of the Sun. The planets, named HR 8799 b, c, d, and e, each have a mass between 5 and 10 times that of Jupiter. They could have formed through two main processes: core accretion or disk instability. Understanding these processes helps scientists classify planetary systems in the galaxy. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, led by William Balmer, conducted the study. They aim to use information from exoplanets to learn more about our own Solar System and life itself. The carbon dioxide found in HR 8799 suggests that its planets likely formed through core accretion, similar to Jupiter and Saturn. Finding carbon dioxide in exoplanet atmospheres is rare, with only a few of the nearly 6,000 known exoplanets directly imaged. JWST’s NIRCam coronagraph technology was crucial for this observation, allowing researchers to block starlight and analyze the planets' infrared emissions. The new findings shed light on the heavy elements present in the atmospheres of the HR 8799 planets. As the leading space observatory, JWST plays a vital role in exploring distant exoplanets, our Solar System, and the origins of the Universe.