NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has taken a major step in the search for another Earth-
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The recent news that the James Webb Space Telescope has detected light directly emitted by an Earth-like exoplanet is a major breakthrough in the search for extraterrestrial life. This exoplanet, named Trappist-1b, orbits a dwarf star, Trappist-1, some 40 light years away in the habitable zone. The international team of researchers was able to use the infrared data to measure the heat from the planet, determining that the temperature on the side of the planet facing its sun is about 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which also suggests this is a world with no significant atmosphere.
The detection of light from Trappist-1b is a significant discovery because it not only tells us that the distant world is there, but it can also provide details about the planet and its potential for hosting alien life. By studying the light emitted by the exoplanet, scientists can determine the composition of its atmosphere, which is an important factor in assessing the potential habitability of a world.
The TRAPPIST-1 system is a great laboratory to look at the atmospheres of rocky planets. The exoplanet’s close proximity to its star means that it is subject to regular blasts of solar flares, which could be sterilizing the worlds of the Trappist-1 system with heavy doses of stellar radiation. This could mean that any life on the planet would have to be hardy enough to survive the intense radiation, making it a great place to study the resilience of life.
The James Webb Space Telescope has opened up a new window into the universe, allowing us to detect light from distant exoplanets and study them in unprecedented detail. This discovery of Trappist-1b is a major breakthrough in the search for extraterrestrial life, and it’s just the beginning of what the Webb telescope can do. With its powerful infrared capabilities, the Webb telescope can detect the light from exoplanets that are too faint for other telescopes to see, allowing us to explore exoplanets in greater detail than ever before.
Continue Reading at Source : forbes
