James Webb Telescope Finds Water-Rich Exoplanet Amid Budget Cuts

Rahul Somvanshi

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope spots a unique planet GJ 1214 b, 48 light-years away, with water and methane in its atmosphere.

Photo Source: ESO (CC BY 4.0)

The newly found planet sits between Earth and Neptune in size, challenging scientists' understanding of how planets form.

Potot Source: Picryl

Webb telescope captures intricate wood grain-like patterns in space dust near Cassiopeia A, showing details 400 times the Earth-Sun distance.

Photo Source: NASA/ESA/CSA JWST NIRCam; Jacob Jencson. (GO 5451) (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Scientists observe changes in cosmic dust patterns within days, using Webb's ability to detect faint red light from space

Photo Source:NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (CC BY 2.0)

NASA plans to launch SPHEREx telescope in February 2025, designed to scan the entire sky every six months in 102 infrared colors.

Photo Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (CC BY 2.0)

Webb telescope operates 1.5 million kilometers from Earth with gold-coated mirrors and a five-layer sunshield for precise observations.

Photo Source: Hubble ESA (CC BY 2.0)

Budget concerns emerge for Webb telescope operations, potentially limiting its future research capabilities despite recent discoveries.

Photo Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (CC BY 2.0)

Scientists use Webb's infrared technology to study planetary formation and distribution of elements like carbon in space.

Photo Source: NASA (CC BY 2.0)

Josh Peek from Space Telescope Science Institute compares the cosmic dust layers to an onion's structure, previously invisible to telescopes

Photo Source: NASA Hubble Space Telescope (CC BY 2.0)

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