Skip to main content

NASA's Webb Cracks Case of Inflated Exoplanet

View All Press Releases
May 20, 2024 11:00AM (EDT)Release ID: 2024-113
Illustration of an exoplanet with a hazy blue atmosphere and loose bands of clouds on the black background of space. The right three-quarters of the planet is lit by a star not shown in the illustration. The left quarter is in shadow. The terminator, the boundary between the day and night sides is gradual, not sharp. The planet is light blue with loose bands of white clouds. The limb of the planet (the edge) has a subtle blue glow.

Summary

A surprising deficiency of methane suggests that tidal heating has puffed up the atmosphere of the warm gas giant WASP-107 b.

Why is the warm gas-giant exoplanet WASP-107 b so, so puffy? With a moderate temperature and an ultra-low density on par with a microwaved marshmallow, it seems to defy standard theories of planet formation and evolution.

Two independent teams of researchers think they’ve figured it out. Data from Webb, combined with prior observations from Hubble, show that the interior of WASP-107 b must be a lot toastier than previously estimated. The unexpectedly high temperature, which is thought to be caused by tidal forces that stretch the planet like silly putty, can explain how planets like WASP-107 b can be so floofy, possibly solving a long-standing mystery in exoplanet science.

Lee esta historia en español.

Full Article

Why is the warm gas-giant exoplanet WASP-107 b so puffy? Two independent teams of researchers have an answer. Data collected using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, combined with prior observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, show surprisingly little methane (CH4) in the planet’s atmosphere, indicating that the interior of WASP-107 b must be significantly hotter and the core much more massive than previously estimated. The unexpectedly high temperature is thought to be a result of tidal heating caused by the planet’s slightly non-circular orbit, and can explain ...

Read More on NASA.gov

Callout: Full Press Release

Visit NASA Science to view the full news release including article text and associated Webb imagery, graphics, scientific visualizations, videos, captions, text descriptions, and other information.

News releases highlighting the discoveries of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope are produced for NASA by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, under NASA Contract NAS5-03127. News release content is developed by the News Team in STScI’s Office of Public Outreach.

End callout
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google

Contact our News Team 

Contact our Outreach Office