NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has broken a historic record by directly measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time, as a US-led group of researchers reported. The detection was made by observing a distant gas giant around a star 700 light-years away.
Scientists employed Webb’s extremely sensitive infrared tools to record the chemical fingerprint of CO2, an important molecule that provides insights into the planet’s creation and atmospheric state. “This is a game-changer in exoplanet science,” one of the project’s lead scientists declared, referring to the discovery as a significant leap toward understanding other worlds.
The discovery not only sheds light on the atmosphere of the exoplanet’s composition but also opens doors to further research on rocky, Earth-like planets where carbon-based life might exist. Researchers think that this achievement will speed up the search for habitable worlds.
Since its inception, the Webb Telescope has offered unprecedented information about the early universe and faraway galaxies. This latest finding confirms it as a paradigm-shifting tool in contemporary planetary science and astronomy.
