They are planets orbiting other stars to 130 light years

One of the original purposes of the James Webb space telescope was the direct observation of exoplanets: distant worlds that orbit stellar systems other than the sun. The latest images of the 10,000 million dollars observatory demonstrate the level of detail that is capable of capturing.

Young and gaseous. The Webb Telescope, operated by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), has been observing a planetary system to 130 light years from the Earth. At the tender age of 30 million years, this neighborhood called HR 8799 It is much younger than our solar system, which is 4.6 billion years old.

The four planets in the photo that revolve around the star HR 8799 are gaseous giants similar to Jupiter and Saturn. Being so young, in addition to giants, they retain the residual heat of their formation, which makes them emit a large amount of infrared light. This light is what has allowed Webb Space Telescope Capture clear and direct images of exoplanets.

An important finding. One of the most surprising aspects of these observations is the remarkable presence of carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of the four giant planets. A study published by The Astronomical Journal Associates CO2 to a large number of heavy elements such as carbon, oxygen and iron in the gaseous body of these exoplanets.

The study supports the theory of core’s accretion training, which is the same mechanism proposed by astronomers for the formation of Jupiter and Saturn in our solar system. According to this theory, the giant planets begin forming solid nuclei that then attract large amounts of gas from the protoplanetary disk that surrounds a young star.

Cooked over low heat. The Chemical composition observed by the Webb In the HR 8799 system it is a clue that the planets were formed by slow accumulation of heavy materials, instead of faster alternative processes.

Scientists have also been able to analyze important differences between the planets. For example, HR 8799 B, the farthest from its star, shows greater carbon dioxide wealth, while HR 8799 E, the closest to its star, seems to have formed in very different conditions, in a warmer region and with a different composition.

Another Nircam job. Thanks to the Nircam Chamber and its coronograph, which blocks the bright light of the central star, the Webb has not only been able to observe the HR 8799 system, but also 51 eri ba relatively cold and young planet located in the 51 Eridani system, 96 light years from the earth.

This orbit planet at a considerable distance from its star, similar to a location between Saturn and Neptune of our solar system. In this case, the webb has also detected a rich atmosphere in carbon dioxide, which further supports the hypothesis of the solid nucleus as a training mechanism.

Images | NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI, JHU

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