The James Webb telescope, which started a new era in space exploration, is on the agenda with a new discovery. James Webb detected carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. Stating that there may be life on the planet named WASP-39b, scientists underlined that the examination will be detailed.
Scientists who have been researching the existence of other living things in space for a long time have found a new clue about extraterrestrial life. James Webb, who found traces of water in the atmosphere of the planet WASP-96b in July, has now found traces of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a different planet.
Carbon dioxide detected by planet WASP-39b
James Webb studies atmosphere compositions on other planets using transmission spectroscopy. Recent data confirms that humanity is not the only living creature in space.
The traces created by each element by emitting different wavelengths of light at different degrees can be detected by telescopes. More sensitive than the previous telescope, James Webb first discovered water on the planet WASP-96b.
James Webb detected a high degree of carbon dioxide in an atmosphere for the first time. About 700 light-years away, the planet orbits its associated star every four days. Having the same mass as Saturn, WASP-39b has larger dimensions than Jupiter, as it has a temperature of about 900 degrees.
Using James Webb’s Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) for the study, the team detected a clear bulge in a spectrum corresponding to carbon dioxide in the spectrum between 4.1 and 4.6 micron wavelengths. These new Webb observations are able to capture the smallest differences in brightness for colors between 3 and 5.5 microns ever measured for an exoplanet.
Due to the gas cloud, it is thought that there is no human-like life form on planet WASP-39b. Scientists continue their preparations to study Earth-like planets with rocks such as the TRAPPIST-1 system.