JWST reveals active exoplanet atmospheres

The telescope has found evidence of atmospheric reactions above an exoplanet

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The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been fully calibrated and operational for over six months now. The incredible images it has returned, rich with eye-popping detail, tend to make the news, but the JWST has also made a number of pivotal contributions to our understanding of the cosmos.

As part of the first round of science observation programmes, JWST has been observing transiting exoplanets. This programme was proposed and led by three principal investigators: Natalie Batalha at the NASA Ames Research Center, Jacob Bean at the University of Chicago, and Kevin Stevenson at the Space Telescope Science Institute. But the particular research paper I'm reporting on here involved some 80-odd co-authors - it represents a phenomenal collaborative effort of planetary scientists.