Nevertheless, the evidence collected suggests a strong likelihood of significant water content. The team determined that GJ 1214b contains a significant proportion of elements slightly heavier than hydrogen, which could potentially indicate the presence of water, methane, or a combination of both.Īdditional research is needed to accurately ascertain the atmospheric composition of the planet. Heat transport differs based on the composition of heavier and lighter molecules, allowing scientists to gain insights into the atmospheric makeup. However, despite this asymmetry, heat is still circulated throughout the planet via its dense atmosphere.īy analyzing the data extracted from the telescope, the researchers generated a temperature map of the planet as it completed its orbit around the star. The news release via UChicago News reported that GJ 1214 b has one side permanently facing the star and the other in constant darkness. Over a span of approximately 40 hours, the telescope observed the planet, capturing various noteworthy findings. READ ALSO: NASA's TESS Discovered a Hot Sub-Neptune Exoplanet Bigger Than Earth Night and Day in the Mini-Neptune This allowed them to create a heat map of the planet, revealing details about its atmosphere on both the day and night sides. Researchers focused on the planet during its transit, tracking it throughout nearly an entire orbit, utilizing the JWST's MIRI instrument. Kempton emphasized that the planet's atmosphere had remained completely concealed until this recent observation. Hence, astronomers sought to utilize the JWST to further investigate this intriguing exoplanet. However, detailed observations were hindered by the planet's thick layer of haze or clouds. GJ 1214 b was the first mini-Neptune with a detected atmosphere and only the second one for which mass and radius were determined. They also noted that the planet's atmosphere is likely undergoing hydrodynamic escape, suggesting significant evolutionary changes over time. In the published paper, the authors stated that the planet's mass and radius indicate a composition primarily consisting of water, enveloped by a hydrogen-helium layer that constitutes only 0.05% of the planet's mass. It is about eight times the mass of the Earth and has a radius of approximately 2.75 times that of Earth. Subsequent observations with the Hubble Space Telescope suggested that the planet possesses a thick steamy atmosphere, making it a water world. The MEarth Project discovered its only planet, GJ 1214 b, using the transit method in 2009. Their findings were published in a Nature paper titled " A reflective, metal-rich atmosphere for GJ 1214b from its JWST phase curve," with lead author Eliza Kempton from the University of Maryland.Īccording to Science Alert, GJ 1214 is a red dwarf star located approximately 40 light-years away in the Ophiuchus constellation. Using the James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI and Low-Resolutions Spectrometer, researchers conducted observations on the mini-Neptune planet known as GJ 1214 b. James Webb Space Telescope Takes Its First Up-Close Look at the Mysterious Atmosphere of a Mini-Neptune Exoplanet First mini-Neptune With an Atmosphere
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