This transmission spectrum, captured using NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, shows the amounts of different wavelengths (colors) of starlight blocked by the atmosphere of the gas-giant exoplanet WASP-107 b.
The spectrum includes light collected over five separate observations using a total of three different instruments: Hubble’s WFC3 (0.8–1.6 microns), Webb’s NIRCam (2.4–4.0 microns and 3.9–5.0 microns), and Webb’s MIRI (5–12 microns). Each set of measurements was made by observing the planet-star system for about 10 hours before, during, and after the transit as the planet moved across the face of the star.
By comparing the brightness of light filtered through the planet’s atmosphere (transmitted light) to unfiltered starlight, it is possible to calculate the amount of each wavelength that is blocked by the atmosphere. Since each molecule absorbs a unique combination of wavelengths, the transmission spectrum can be used to constrain the abundance of various gases.
This spectrum shows clear evidence for water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ammonia (NH3) in the planet’s atmosphere, allowing researchers to estimate the interior temperature and mass of the core.
This wavelength coverage from optical to mid-infrared is the broadest of any exoplanet transmission spectrum to date, and includes the first reported space telescope detection of ammonia in an exoplanet atmosphere.
Credits
Illustration
NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)
Science
Luis Welbanks (ASU), JWST MANATEE Team
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | WASP-107 b |
| Object Description | Warm Neptune Exoplanet |
| R.A. Position | 12h33m32.74s |
| Dec. Position | -10d08m46.37s |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | 210 light-years |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Transmission Spectroscopy: Hubble WFC3 Grism Spectroscopy; Webb NIRCam Grism Time-Series Spectroscopy; Webb MIRI Low-Resolution Spectroscopy |
| Instrument | Hubble WFC3 (G141, G102) Webb NIRCam (F322W2, F444W) Webb MIRI |
| Exposure Dates | WFC3: June 5-6, 2017 NIRCam: July 4-5, 2023 MIRI: January 19-20, 2023 |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
