Unexpected Atmosphere Composition of a Warm Mini-Neptune
Steam over a boiling pot slightly tints the light of a flashlight: it blocks some colors and lets others through. That's roughly how we study the air of distant planets.
A Watery Surprise from Young Super-Earth V1298 Tau c
Astronomers using the JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) have for the first time studied in detail the atmosphere of a young exoplanet, V1298 Tau c. This super-Earth, a planet more massive than Earth but less so than gas giants, is only 23 million years old.
Stellar Freckles in X-rays
A planet glides across a star's disk, and for a moment becomes a flashlight. It blocks a tiny patch of surface, revealing details that otherwise escape our view. That's exactly how astronomers peered into the dark spots on V1298 Tauri, a young twin of our Sun. They were aided by the James Webb Space Telescope JWST and three giant planets in orbit.