Astronomers have captured the first direct image of an exoplanet with the James Webb Space Telescope.
The exoplanet, or planet outside of our solar system, is a gas giant about six to 12 times the mass of Jupiter. the planet, called hip 65426 b, is about 15 to 20 million years old — just a baby planet when compared to earth, which is 4.5 billion years old.
The absolute majority of exoplanets have only been observed through temporary dips in the brightness of the stars they orbit; only about two dozen have been imaged directly. But that might soon change. Less than two months after it started its science operations, the James Webb Space Telescope delivered its first direct photo of a planet beyond our solar system.
The planet, a gas giant orbiting the star called HIP 65426 some 385 light-years from Earth, appears in the image as a tiny splotch close to the glowing star. Webb photographed the exoplanet using its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), each of which focuses on a different flavour of infrared light.
