A Jupiter-size planet that escaped its star's death
Summary
Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to study a rare Jupiter-sized planet, WD 1856 b, that orbits a white dwarf star. This planet survived the transformation of its star into a white dwarf and has unusual features such as a close orbit and an atmosphere with methane and aerosol hazes.Key Facts
- WD 1856 b is a gas giant planet similar in size to Jupiter.
- It orbits a white dwarf, which is the small, dense core left after a Sun-like star dies.
- The planet did not move outward as expected when the star became a white dwarf but instead orbits very close.
- Astronomers used new methods to analyze data from the planet’s transit, where it passes in front of the star.
- The planet’s atmosphere contains methane and is covered in hazes.
- WD 1856 b emits 25 times more energy than it receives from its star.
- The James Webb Space Telescope observed the planet during an eight-minute transit in April 2023.
- The discovery challenges current ideas about how planetary systems change when stars die.
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