The James Webb Telescope Just Zoomed In On A Hot, Haze-Free Exoplanet

The James Webb Space Telescope just zoomed in on the atmosphere of a planet discovered in 2020 -- and now we have the clearest data ever about an exoplanet. The awkwardly named Planet TOI-421b's exoplanet status means that it doesn't orbit our sun. (Exoplanets are defined as any planet beyond our solar system.) Don't expect to travel there any time soon. It's 244 light-years away from the Earth -- for comparison, the dwarf planet Pluto is only five and a half light-hours from us. The planet orbits a star that is similar to our sun. It is considered a sub-Neptune planet because it's larger than Earth, but smaller than Neptune, which is four times larger than Earth. The planet was discovered through astronomical transit, which means astronomers noticed that a star dimmed as TOI-421b passed it in orbit. This isn't a heavenly body that a hobbyist can spot, but the best cameras out there can get you started with astrophotography. The exoplanet was mapped by a team of astronomers from NA ... Read full article.