JWST detects carbon dioxide in exoplanet’s atmosphere

The James Webb Space Telescope has found clear evidence of the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere of a giant planet orbiting a Sun-like star 700 light-years away. The result provides important insights into the composition and evolution of this gas giant, and demonstrates Webb’s ability to detect and measure CO2 in the thinner atmospheres of smaller rocky planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. The findings of the international group of astronomers, which includes Yamila Miguel (Leiden Observatory, SRON) and Jean-Michel Désert (UvA), have been accepted for publication in Nature.