Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Intrigue deepened as the James Webb Space Telescope identified a new kind of planet unlike anything in our solar system, challenging existing ideas of planetary formation.
Over 5,000 exoplanets have been confirmed, with many defying classification—falling between Earth-like and Neptune-like worlds.
Credit : NASA
Thick, high clouds on these planets often obscure atmospheric details, leaving their true nature elusive to astronomers.
Credit : NASA
GJ 1214 b, located just 48 light years away, became the subject of intense scrutiny, offering the best chance for understanding this planet class.
Credit : NASA
Data revealed a carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere akin to Venus, defying previous assumptions of hydrogen- or water-dominated atmospheres.
The CO₂ signal detected was minuscule—comparable to finding a single changed sentence in War and Peace, says Everett Schlawin, lead researcher.
Kazumasa Ohno spearheaded simulations to decode the atmosphere, with results pointing to a “super-Venus” model.
Findings from this groundbreaking study were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, marking a significant leap in exoplanet research.
The team stressed the need for further studies, promising more clarity on this enigmatic class of planets that could reshape our understanding of planetary systems.