"James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Quartz Crystals in Exoplanet's Atmosphere"

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected quartz crystals in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-17b. The planet, which is incredibly close to its star and has a scorching hot atmosphere, experiences thousand-mile-per-hour winds that carry tiny quartz crystals. This discovery was unexpected, as previous observations had detected more complex magnesium-rich crystals. The presence of quartz suggests that these crystals are the building blocks for larger silicate grains found in cooler exoplanets. The findings were published in Astrophysical Journal Letters.