American astronomer, one of the pioneers of the transit method for detecting exoplanets. He led the group that first recorded the transit of an exoplanet across the disk of a star (HD 209458 b), opening a new era in the study of planetary systems.
Biography
He studied at the University of Toronto and Harvard University. He is a professor at Harvard University, a leading researcher in the field of exoplanet transits and atmospheres.
Key discoveries
First detection of the transit of exoplanet HD 209458 b (1999)
Research on exoplanet atmospheres
💡 He earned the nickname 'planet hunter' because his work on transits led to the discovery of hundreds of new worlds.
Quote: "When we look at transits of exoplanets, we see the shadows of alien worlds."
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
LTT-9779 b is a planet from the 'hot Neptune desert', a region where worlds usually perish. But it survived thanks to a carbon cocoon: an atmosphere of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide turned out to be so thick that it doesn't evaporate even at 2000°C. On top of that, this exoplanet reflects 80% o
Scientists have figured out how rocky planets hold onto lightweight hydrogen: stellar tidal forces heat up their interiors, triggering non-stop eruptions. Volcanoes belch out gases, replenishing the loss. Such a planet gives itself away by an unusually thin hydrogen envelope — which the James Webb S
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Gravitational kicks from distant giant planets knock small rocky worlds (super-Earths) near the star out of the system. The ejected planet becomes a lonely wanderer. This same mechanism can shuffle the orbits of the remaining planets and even send them plunging into the star.
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