Webb Telescope Makes First Direct Observation of CO2 on an Exoplanet

Photo: AFP

For the first time ever, scientists have used the James Webb Space Telescope to directly observe carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of planets beyond our solar system. This discovery, announced on Monday, is a big step in understanding how distant planets form.

The planets where this gas was found are huge gas giants, meaning they are not suitable for life. However, studying them gives scientists important clues about how planets take shape in young star systems. This research was published in The Astrophysical Journal.

A Young Star System

The planets observed belong to a system called HR 8799, which is located about 130 light-years away from Earth. Compared to our solar system, which is 4.6 billion years old, HR 8799 is very young—only around 30 million years old.

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A team of researchers from the United States used Webb’s powerful tools to detect carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of all four known planets in this system. To do this, they relied on a special instrument called a coronagraph. This device helps block out the bright light of the central star, making it easier to study the planets orbiting around it.

"It's similar to holding up your thumb to block the Sun when you're looking at the sky," explained William Balmer, the lead scientist of the study and an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University.

A Different Way to Detect Exoplanets

Usually, the Webb telescope finds exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) when they pass in front of their star. This technique, known as the "transiting method," allows scientists to study the light filtering through a planet’s atmosphere to identify different gases.

In 2022, Webb used this method to detect carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a distant planet called WASP-39. But this time, scientists did something different. Instead of looking at the planet when it passed in front of its star, they directly observed the planet’s light.

Balmer explained that this method is much harder. He compared it to using a flashlight to spot tiny fireflies near a giant lighthouse.

Could Moons Around These Planets Support Life?

While these gas giants are unlikely to host life themselves, Balmer pointed out that they might have moons that could. In our solar system, some of Jupiter’s moons, like Europa, have large oceans hidden beneath thick layers of ice. Scientists believe these oceans could support life.

Right now, different space missions are being planned to explore these distant moons and see if they have the right conditions for living organisms.

This discovery by Webb is another step toward answering one of humanity’s biggest questions—are we alone in the universe?