Webb Telescope Uncovers Secrets of Exoplanets and Their Stars.
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed Gliese 1214 b, a mini-Neptune exoplanet that is unlike anything in our solar system. The planet's highly reflective atmosphere has made it difficult to observe until now. The team used a combination of approaches to study the planet's atmosphere and found that it may have been a "water world" in its past. The planet's atmosphere is composed of heavier molecules, such as water or methane, rather than lighter hydrogen molecules. The team will continue to collect data to better understand how mini-Neptunes form and evolve.