The GuardianThe Guardian

‘Historic’ James Webb images show exoplanet in unprecedented detail

By Hannah Devlin

01 Sep 2022 · 2 min read

Editor's Note

We now have the first direct images of a planet beyond our solar system. Though it would be “a terrible place to live.” The Guardian reports on a historic moment for astronomy.

A blazing gas giant shrouded in dusty red clouds has been revealed in unprecedented observations of a planet beyond our solar system.

The observations, which astronomers said marked a “historic moment for astronomy”, are the first direct images of a planet beyond our solar system by Nasa’s $10bn (£8.65bn) James Webb space telescope. They are also the first images of an exoplanet using infrared light, which gives a far more precise indication of a planet’s mass and temperature and will allow astronomers to detect the movement of clouds drifting across the planet’s sky.

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