\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA\u2019s Webb Maps Weather on Planet 280 Light-Years Away\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/webb-stsci-01hw67pvz04wbv6fnqg7b3p1ac-2k.jpg?w=1536\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThis artist\u2019s concept shows what the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b could look like.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCredits: <\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAn international team of researchers has successfully used NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope to map the weather on the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b.<\/p>\n
Precise brightness measurements over a broad spectrum of mid-infrared light, combined with 3D climate models and previous observations from other telescopes, suggest the presence of thick, high clouds covering the nightside, clear skies on the dayside, and equatorial winds upwards of 5,000 miles per hour mixing atmospheric gases around the planet.<\/p>\n
The investigation is just the latest demonstration of the exoplanet science now possible with Webb\u2019s extraordinary ability to measure temperature variations and detect atmospheric gases trillions of miles away.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/webb-stsci-01hw67pvz04wbv6fnqg7b3p1ac-2k.jpg?w=2000\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThis artist\u2019s concept shows what the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b could look like. WASP-43 b is a Jupiter-sized planet roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. The planet orbits its star at a distance of about 1.3 million miles, completing one circuit in about 19.5 hours. Because it is so close to its star, WASP-43 b is probably tidally locked: Its rotation rate and orbital period are the same, such that one side faces the star at all times.<\/div>\nCredits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTidally Locked \u201cHot Jupiter\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\nWASP-43 b is a \u201chot Jupiter\u201d type of exoplanet: similar in size to Jupiter, made primarily of hydrogen and helium, and much hotter than any of the giant planets in our own solar system. Although its star is smaller and cooler than the Sun, WASP-43 b orbits at a distance of just 1.3 million miles \u2013 less than 1\/25th<\/sup> the distance between Mercury and the Sun.<\/p>\nWith such a tight orbit, the planet is tidally locked<\/a>, with one side continuously illuminated and the other in permanent darkness. Although the nightside never receives any direct radiation from the star, strong eastward winds transport heat around from the dayside.<\/p>\nSince its discovery in 2011, WASP-43 b has been observed with numerous telescopes, including NASA\u2019s Hubble and now-retired Spitzer space telescopes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Hubble<\/a>, we could clearly see that there is water vapor on the dayside. Both Hubble and Spitzer suggested there might be clouds on the nightside,\u201d explained Taylor Bell, researcher from the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute and lead author of a study published today in Nature Astronomy<\/em><\/a>. \u201cBut we needed more precise measurements from Webb to really begin mapping the temperature, cloud cover, winds, and more detailed atmospheric composition all the way around the planet.\u201d<\/p>\nMapping Temperature and Inferring Weather<\/strong><\/h2>\nAlthough WASP-43 b is too small, dim, and close to its star for a telescope to see directly, its short orbital period of just 19.5 hours makes it ideal for phase curve<\/a> spectroscopy<\/a>, a technique that involves measuring tiny changes in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet orbits the star.<\/p>\nSince the amount of mid-infrared light given off by an object depends largely on how hot it is, the brightness data captured by Webb can then be used to calculate the planet\u2019s temperature.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (MIRI Phase Curve)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Graphic](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/webb-stsci-01hw67va2vhh6mkkb2wkbka1c2-2k.jpg?w=2000\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThis phase curve, captured by the MIRI low resolution spectrometer on NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, shows the change in brightness of the WASP-43 system over time as the planet orbits its star. The system appears brightest when the hot dayside of the planet is facing the telescope, just before and after it passes behind the star. The system grows dimmer as the planet continues its orbits and the nightside rotates into view. It brightens again after passing in front of the star as the dayside rotates back into view. WASP-43 b is a hot Jupiter roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. <\/div>\nCredits: Science: Taylor J. Bell (BAERI); Joanna Barstow (Open University); Michael Roman (University of Leicester) Graphic Design: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe team used Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure light from the WASP-43 system<\/a> every 10 seconds for more than 24 hours. \u201cBy observing over an entire orbit, we were able to calculate the temperature of different sides of the planet as they rotate into view,\u201d explained Bell. \u201cFrom that, we could construct a rough map of temperature<\/a> across the planet.\u201d<\/p>\nThe measurements show that the dayside has an average temperature of nearly 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,250 degrees Celsius) \u2013 hot enough to forge iron. Meanwhile, the nightside is significantly cooler at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). The data also helps locate the hottest spot on the planet (the \u201chotspot\u201d), which is shifted slightly eastward from the point that receives the most stellar radiation, where the star is highest in the planet\u2019s sky. This shift occurs because of supersonic winds, which move heated air eastward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that we can map temperature in this way is a real testament to Webb\u2019s sensitivity and stability,\u201d said Michael Roman, a co-author from the University of Leicester in the U.K. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nTo interpret the map, the team used complex 3D atmospheric models like those used to understand weather and climate on Earth. The analysis shows that the nightside is probably covered in a thick, high layer of clouds that prevent some of the infrared light from escaping to space. As a result, the nightside \u2013 while very hot \u2013 looks dimmer and cooler than it would if there were no clouds.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Temperature Maps)<\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
An international team of researchers has successfully used NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope to map the weather on the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b.<\/p>\n
Precise brightness measurements over a broad spectrum of mid-infrared light, combined with 3D climate models and previous observations from other telescopes, suggest the presence of thick, high clouds covering the nightside, clear skies on the dayside, and equatorial winds upwards of 5,000 miles per hour mixing atmospheric gases around the planet.<\/p>\n
The investigation is just the latest demonstration of the exoplanet science now possible with Webb\u2019s extraordinary ability to measure temperature variations and detect atmospheric gases trillions of miles away.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nThis artist\u2019s concept shows what the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b could look like. WASP-43 b is a Jupiter-sized planet roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. The planet orbits its star at a distance of about 1.3 million miles, completing one circuit in about 19.5 hours. Because it is so close to its star, WASP-43 b is probably tidally locked: Its rotation rate and orbital period are the same, such that one side faces the star at all times.<\/div>\nCredits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTidally Locked \u201cHot Jupiter\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\nWASP-43 b is a \u201chot Jupiter\u201d type of exoplanet: similar in size to Jupiter, made primarily of hydrogen and helium, and much hotter than any of the giant planets in our own solar system. Although its star is smaller and cooler than the Sun, WASP-43 b orbits at a distance of just 1.3 million miles \u2013 less than 1\/25th<\/sup> the distance between Mercury and the Sun.<\/p>\nWith such a tight orbit, the planet is tidally locked<\/a>, with one side continuously illuminated and the other in permanent darkness. Although the nightside never receives any direct radiation from the star, strong eastward winds transport heat around from the dayside.<\/p>\nSince its discovery in 2011, WASP-43 b has been observed with numerous telescopes, including NASA\u2019s Hubble and now-retired Spitzer space telescopes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Hubble<\/a>, we could clearly see that there is water vapor on the dayside. Both Hubble and Spitzer suggested there might be clouds on the nightside,\u201d explained Taylor Bell, researcher from the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute and lead author of a study published today in Nature Astronomy<\/em><\/a>. \u201cBut we needed more precise measurements from Webb to really begin mapping the temperature, cloud cover, winds, and more detailed atmospheric composition all the way around the planet.\u201d<\/p>\nMapping Temperature and Inferring Weather<\/strong><\/h2>\nAlthough WASP-43 b is too small, dim, and close to its star for a telescope to see directly, its short orbital period of just 19.5 hours makes it ideal for phase curve<\/a> spectroscopy<\/a>, a technique that involves measuring tiny changes in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet orbits the star.<\/p>\nSince the amount of mid-infrared light given off by an object depends largely on how hot it is, the brightness data captured by Webb can then be used to calculate the planet\u2019s temperature.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (MIRI Phase Curve)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nThis phase curve, captured by the MIRI low resolution spectrometer on NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, shows the change in brightness of the WASP-43 system over time as the planet orbits its star. The system appears brightest when the hot dayside of the planet is facing the telescope, just before and after it passes behind the star. The system grows dimmer as the planet continues its orbits and the nightside rotates into view. It brightens again after passing in front of the star as the dayside rotates back into view. WASP-43 b is a hot Jupiter roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. <\/div>\nCredits: Science: Taylor J. Bell (BAERI); Joanna Barstow (Open University); Michael Roman (University of Leicester) Graphic Design: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe team used Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure light from the WASP-43 system<\/a> every 10 seconds for more than 24 hours. \u201cBy observing over an entire orbit, we were able to calculate the temperature of different sides of the planet as they rotate into view,\u201d explained Bell. \u201cFrom that, we could construct a rough map of temperature<\/a> across the planet.\u201d<\/p>\nThe measurements show that the dayside has an average temperature of nearly 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,250 degrees Celsius) \u2013 hot enough to forge iron. Meanwhile, the nightside is significantly cooler at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). The data also helps locate the hottest spot on the planet (the \u201chotspot\u201d), which is shifted slightly eastward from the point that receives the most stellar radiation, where the star is highest in the planet\u2019s sky. This shift occurs because of supersonic winds, which move heated air eastward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that we can map temperature in this way is a real testament to Webb\u2019s sensitivity and stability,\u201d said Michael Roman, a co-author from the University of Leicester in the U.K. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nTo interpret the map, the team used complex 3D atmospheric models like those used to understand weather and climate on Earth. The analysis shows that the nightside is probably covered in a thick, high layer of clouds that prevent some of the infrared light from escaping to space. As a result, the nightside \u2013 while very hot \u2013 looks dimmer and cooler than it would if there were no clouds.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Temperature Maps)<\/h2>\n
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/webb-stsci-01hw67pvz04wbv6fnqg7b3p1ac-2k.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>Tidally Locked \u201cHot Jupiter\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\nWASP-43 b is a \u201chot Jupiter\u201d type of exoplanet: similar in size to Jupiter, made primarily of hydrogen and helium, and much hotter than any of the giant planets in our own solar system. Although its star is smaller and cooler than the Sun, WASP-43 b orbits at a distance of just 1.3 million miles \u2013 less than 1\/25th<\/sup> the distance between Mercury and the Sun.<\/p>\nWith such a tight orbit, the planet is tidally locked<\/a>, with one side continuously illuminated and the other in permanent darkness. Although the nightside never receives any direct radiation from the star, strong eastward winds transport heat around from the dayside.<\/p>\nSince its discovery in 2011, WASP-43 b has been observed with numerous telescopes, including NASA\u2019s Hubble and now-retired Spitzer space telescopes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Hubble<\/a>, we could clearly see that there is water vapor on the dayside. Both Hubble and Spitzer suggested there might be clouds on the nightside,\u201d explained Taylor Bell, researcher from the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute and lead author of a study published today in Nature Astronomy<\/em><\/a>. \u201cBut we needed more precise measurements from Webb to really begin mapping the temperature, cloud cover, winds, and more detailed atmospheric composition all the way around the planet.\u201d<\/p>\nMapping Temperature and Inferring Weather<\/strong><\/h2>\nAlthough WASP-43 b is too small, dim, and close to its star for a telescope to see directly, its short orbital period of just 19.5 hours makes it ideal for phase curve<\/a> spectroscopy<\/a>, a technique that involves measuring tiny changes in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet orbits the star.<\/p>\nSince the amount of mid-infrared light given off by an object depends largely on how hot it is, the brightness data captured by Webb can then be used to calculate the planet\u2019s temperature.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (MIRI Phase Curve)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nThis phase curve, captured by the MIRI low resolution spectrometer on NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, shows the change in brightness of the WASP-43 system over time as the planet orbits its star. The system appears brightest when the hot dayside of the planet is facing the telescope, just before and after it passes behind the star. The system grows dimmer as the planet continues its orbits and the nightside rotates into view. It brightens again after passing in front of the star as the dayside rotates back into view. WASP-43 b is a hot Jupiter roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. <\/div>\nCredits: Science: Taylor J. Bell (BAERI); Joanna Barstow (Open University); Michael Roman (University of Leicester) Graphic Design: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe team used Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure light from the WASP-43 system<\/a> every 10 seconds for more than 24 hours. \u201cBy observing over an entire orbit, we were able to calculate the temperature of different sides of the planet as they rotate into view,\u201d explained Bell. \u201cFrom that, we could construct a rough map of temperature<\/a> across the planet.\u201d<\/p>\nThe measurements show that the dayside has an average temperature of nearly 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,250 degrees Celsius) \u2013 hot enough to forge iron. Meanwhile, the nightside is significantly cooler at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). The data also helps locate the hottest spot on the planet (the \u201chotspot\u201d), which is shifted slightly eastward from the point that receives the most stellar radiation, where the star is highest in the planet\u2019s sky. This shift occurs because of supersonic winds, which move heated air eastward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that we can map temperature in this way is a real testament to Webb\u2019s sensitivity and stability,\u201d said Michael Roman, a co-author from the University of Leicester in the U.K. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nTo interpret the map, the team used complex 3D atmospheric models like those used to understand weather and climate on Earth. The analysis shows that the nightside is probably covered in a thick, high layer of clouds that prevent some of the infrared light from escaping to space. As a result, the nightside \u2013 while very hot \u2013 looks dimmer and cooler than it would if there were no clouds.<\/p>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Temperature Maps)<\/h2>\n
With such a tight orbit, the planet is tidally locked<\/a>, with one side continuously illuminated and the other in permanent darkness. Although the nightside never receives any direct radiation from the star, strong eastward winds transport heat around from the dayside.<\/p>\n Since its discovery in 2011, WASP-43 b has been observed with numerous telescopes, including NASA\u2019s Hubble and now-retired Spitzer space telescopes.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Hubble<\/a>, we could clearly see that there is water vapor on the dayside. Both Hubble and Spitzer suggested there might be clouds on the nightside,\u201d explained Taylor Bell, researcher from the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute and lead author of a study published today in Nature Astronomy<\/em><\/a>. \u201cBut we needed more precise measurements from Webb to really begin mapping the temperature, cloud cover, winds, and more detailed atmospheric composition all the way around the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n Although WASP-43 b is too small, dim, and close to its star for a telescope to see directly, its short orbital period of just 19.5 hours makes it ideal for phase curve<\/a> spectroscopy<\/a>, a technique that involves measuring tiny changes in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet orbits the star.<\/p>\n Since the amount of mid-infrared light given off by an object depends largely on how hot it is, the brightness data captured by Webb can then be used to calculate the planet\u2019s temperature.<\/p>\n The team used Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure light from the WASP-43 system<\/a> every 10 seconds for more than 24 hours. \u201cBy observing over an entire orbit, we were able to calculate the temperature of different sides of the planet as they rotate into view,\u201d explained Bell. \u201cFrom that, we could construct a rough map of temperature<\/a> across the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n The measurements show that the dayside has an average temperature of nearly 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,250 degrees Celsius) \u2013 hot enough to forge iron. Meanwhile, the nightside is significantly cooler at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). The data also helps locate the hottest spot on the planet (the \u201chotspot\u201d), which is shifted slightly eastward from the point that receives the most stellar radiation, where the star is highest in the planet\u2019s sky. This shift occurs because of supersonic winds, which move heated air eastward.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that we can map temperature in this way is a real testament to Webb\u2019s sensitivity and stability,\u201d said Michael Roman, a co-author from the University of Leicester in the U.K. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n To interpret the map, the team used complex 3D atmospheric models like those used to understand weather and climate on Earth. The analysis shows that the nightside is probably covered in a thick, high layer of clouds that prevent some of the infrared light from escaping to space. As a result, the nightside \u2013 while very hot \u2013 looks dimmer and cooler than it would if there were no clouds.<\/p>\nMapping Temperature and Inferring Weather<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (MIRI Phase Curve)<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Temperature Maps)<\/h2>\n