One of the big highlights of the first scientific data release from James Webb’s space telescopes is the exoplanet atmospheric spectrum, showing how webb instruments can see where this distant atmosphere is made from. This is a big step going forward in exoplanet research and can even help in finding a potential that has the potential to be livable. Even better, the method used to study exoplanet can be used to detect and examine other exoplanets as well.
Planet -planet may look great to us, but in reality, they are very small in the galaxy scheme. Unlike stars, which are much bigger and release their own light, small planets, dim, and difficult to see. This means that researchers who use telescopes like webb can rarely see planets directly; Instead, they must conclude the existence of the planet by looking at how it changes the surrounding environment (through the Planetary Society).
One way to see Exoplanet is to look at the star he orbits, called the host star. If we direct the telescope to the star, we see the light he gives. Sometimes, the amount of light we see from the stars will go down a little when a planet passes in front of it. If we look at this brightness decrease on a normal time scale, we can conclude that there is a planet there and that causes a reduction in brightness when orbiting stars. This is called the transit method, and this is how a telescope such as the Kepler space telescope which is now retired or NASA is now transitioning the Exoplanet Survey Survey (Tess).
Using James Webb to search for exoplanet
James Webb will be able to observe this transit too, which is one way he will learn exoplanet. There is even an example of transit data in the first scientific data release, showing how the light from Star Wasp-96 was dipped in brightness when the Planet Wasp-96 B passed in front of it (via the webb space telescope). Data is collected using imager-infrared instruments and slitless spectrographs (niriss) near the webb, using spectroscopy mode gaps without a single object (SOSS). This mode can study exoplanet by eliminating the focus of the star, which is very bright, and spreading light throughout the pixels so that the effects of a relatively small planet can be observed (through NASA).
It took some time for this planet to pass the face of his star or half an hour in the Wasp-96 B-at that time the telescope took measurements every 1.4 minutes. The instrument collects data for several hours before and after transit as well. The difference caused by the planet in the star brightness is very small in less than 1.5 percent, but because the instrument is very sensitive, it can detect this small change.
From this data, scientists can learn more about exoplanet, such as finding out the size and nature of the orbitals. The transit method is only one way to identify and study exoplanet. Webb will work with a land-based telescope to find new exoplanets, as well, and learn about the mass they use radial speed methods-will be able to directly imagine some exoplanet using a technique called Coronagraphy (via NASA).
