Over the previous three many years, astronomers have found 1000’s of planets outdoors our photo voltaic system, often called exoplanets. Many of these worlds are not like these present in our photo voltaic system, elevating elementary questions on how planets type and evolve.
Researchers in Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to analyze one of these uncommon exoplanets, WASP-80 b. The fuel large is half the mass of Jupiter and orbits a small star that’s solely 60% the mass of our solar. Giant planets like WASP-80 b are hardly ever discovered round such small stars, presumably as a result of there may be not sufficient materials round younger, low-mass stars to simply construct giant planets.
The analysis research, led by Lindsey Wiser, Michael Line and Luis Welbanks at the School of Earth and Space Exploration, together with collaborators at different establishments, got down to look at WASP-80 b’s ambiance to find out whether or not its chemical make-up would possibly trace at a novel technique of formation.
The research article is printed in a particular situation of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“By looking at a ‘weird’ planet like WASP-80 b, we are really stress-testing our understanding of how planets form, and that improves our predictions for what types of planets exist and how they got there,” stated Wiser, who earned her PhD in astrophysics from ASU in spring 2025.
Using JWST, the analysis workforce revealed an ambiance containing water, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and presumably ammonia. Interestingly, WASP-80 b’s composition resembles that of extra “typical” large planets round higher-mass stars, leaving unanswered questions on how WASP-80 b bought so large. Perhaps there was extra mass in the younger star-planet system than beforehand estimated, or perhaps the planet began forming sooner than beforehand thought, giving it extra time to develop.
The JWST observations of WASP-80 b collected for this research make up one of the most full datasets of a single planet cooler than ~1,000 Kelvin. These findings spotlight the energy of cutting-edge area telescopes for illuminating the compositions of once-mysterious exoplanets.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see such a complete dataset for a single planet. Compared to observations with older space telescopes like Hubble and Spitzer, this was the most confidence I’ve had making conclusions about what a planet’s atmosphere is made of,” Wiser stated.
“The sheer information content of the data and the capacity for JWST to constantly challenge our understanding of these distant worlds never ceases to amaze me,” stated Line, affiliate professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration.
This analysis additionally underscores Arizona’s management in area. ASU’s involvement in JWST science strengthens Arizona’s place as a hub for area science and innovation. Research gives hands-on coaching for ASU college students, serving to to develop a talented workforce for the state’s rising aerospace and know-how industries. Additionally, scientific discoveries encourage public curiosity, reinforcing Arizona’s dedication to training and science engagement.
Overall, this analysis gives new insights into how the distinctive inhabitants of large planets round small stars could type, and it highlights the worth of the James Webb Space Telescope for increasing our understanding of planetary techniques. Exoplanet research place our photo voltaic system in a cosmic context, revealing what makes it distinctive, or what it might need in widespread with the rising quantity of recognized exoplanetary techniques.