From the Webb telescope the CO2 test on an alien planet

Now there is irrefutable proof of the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet outside the Solar System: the new James Webb space telescope of NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and Canadian (CSA), has found it, pointing the its super view of the gas giant planet Wasp-39b, orbiting a Sun-like star 700 light-years from us.

The result provides important information on the composition and formation of the planet and is indicative of Webb's ability to detect and measure carbon dioxide.

"Detecting such a clear carbon dioxide signal on Wasp-39 b bodes well for detecting atmospheres on smaller Earth-sized planets," says Natalie Batalha of the University of California at Santa Cruz, head of the team of researchers who with the Webb telescope he studies the atmosphere of exoplanets by observing the way in which they filter the light of the parent star when they pass in front of it.

“It's amazing to see ESA's NIRSpec instrument produce this incredible data so early in the mission, when we know we can still improve the quality of the data as we move forward,” adds Sarah Kendrew of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

Carbon dioxide molecules can tell a lot about a planet's history: by measuring them, as Mike Line of Arizona State University explains, "we can determine how much solid or gaseous material was used to form the planet. Over the next decade, Webb will make this measurement. for a variety of planets, providing detailed information on how they are formed and the uniqueness of our solar system. "