JWST captures stunning 3D view of a planet’s scorching atmosphere

JWST captures stunning 3D view of a planet’s scorching atmosphere

A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create the first 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet. The fiery WASP-18b, a massive “ultra-hot Jupiter,” revealed striking temperature contrasts, including regions so hot they destroy water molecules. This pioneering eclipse mapping technique lets scientists visualize alien weather in unprecedented detail and could soon be applied to smaller, rocky planets.

NASA’s JWST Produces First-Ever 3D Map of Distant Planet WASP-18b

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has created the first-ever 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet, revealing the extreme conditions on WASP-18b, an “ultra-hot Jupiter” located 400 light-years away. Using infrared eclipse mapping, scientists discovered a scorching hotspot over 2,700 °C where water molecules are breaking apart. This groundbreaking observation confirms long-held theories about atmospheric chemistry and dynamics on distant, heat-bathe…