Exploring exoplanet atmospheres
Investigate the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system, then make a pitch for what exoplanet spectra you’d like to capture with the James Webb Space Telescope.Researching Exoplanets
The first discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star was in 1995. Since then, thousands of exoplanets have been discovered. Scientists are now using spectra captured by the James Webb Space Telescope to identify what elements and molecules are in the atmospheres of these exoplanets.
Video. Watch this video that shows how exoplanet scientist Mercedes López-Morales studies the light coming from solar systems beyond our own to figure out what these planets are like, including looking for molecules that might be “biosignatures,” or evidence for life.