Laurent Pueyo

At Alpha Centauri A, the nearest Sun-like star, Webb briefly picked up a dot called S1 — a planet candidate the size of Jupiter but with a temperature around –20°C. The object hid behind the star — its orbit lasts just 2–3 years, and there’s remarkably little dust around.

Webb studied the planet HAT-P-26 b and found water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide in its air. Previously, SO₂ had only been spotted on scorching hot giants or chilly sub-Neptunes; now it's clear that photochemistry works across a wide temperature range. A trend emerged: the higher the atmospher

The James Webb telescope is hunting for an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 e, but the star's flares get in the way. Scientists found a fix: record the noise using the neighboring airless planet TRAPPIST-1 b, then subtract it from the main signal. Early tests show the method works on quiet days, but a power