Inside The Sky At Night - Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST

Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST. In July's Sky at Night, we discovered what she's learned since then.

- By Hannah Wakeford

The list of known exoplanets numbers in the thousands. The most prolific method of finding these worlds orbiting around other stars is to watch the dimming of the star's light as the planet passes in front of it, known as a transit.

I study the atmospheres of transiting exoplanets to better understand how their climate is affected by their environments. I'm most interested in hot gas giants: planets similar in size to Jupiter but orbiting their stars in just a few days, meaning they are baked under the intense radiation. These 'hot Jupiters' are tidally locked with a very hot permanent dayside facing the star, and a cooler nightside facing space. This dichotomy in temperature drives supersonic winds and changes the atmosphere's chemistry.