A newly discovered “super Jupiter” has been observed by the Webb Space Telescope orbiting a neighboring star, showcasing an extraordinary orbital pattern. The planet, which is comparable in diameter to Jupiter but possesses six times its mass, is rich in hydrogen, similar to Jupiter’s atmosphere.
Unusual Orbital Characteristics
What sets this planet apart is its extremely long orbital period. It takes over a century—potentially up to 250 years—for it to complete one orbit around its star, located 15 times farther from its star than Earth is from the Sun. This planet orbits the star Epsilon Indi A, part of a three-star system, and is situated about 12 light-years away. A light-year equals approximately 5.8 trillion miles.
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Surprising Findings and Discovery
Scientists had speculated about the existence of a large planet around this star, but the actual findings revealed it to be both more massive and farther from its star than previously anticipated. The discovery was made by an international team led by Elisabeth Matthews from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany. The results were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
Direct Observation Using Webb Telescope
Using the Webb Telescope’s special shading device to block out the star’s light, the team was able to directly observe this ancient and cold gas giant—a rare achievement. The planet appeared as a pinpoint of infrared light, standing out from the obscured starlight.
Age and Characteristics of the Planet
The planet and its star are approximately 3.5 billion years old, which is about a billion years younger than our solar system but still considered quite old. Despite its brightness and proximity to our solar system, the star is visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere.
Limited Prospects for Life
However, the prospects for life on this planet are bleak. “This is a gas giant with no hard surface or liquid water oceans,” Matthews noted in an email.
Potential for Other Worlds
While it is unlikely that this solar system contains additional gas giants, there may be smaller, rocky worlds present. Studying planets similar to Jupiter can provide valuable insights into how such planets evolve over billions of years.
Exoplanet Discoveries and Future Research
Since the confirmation of the first exoplanets in the early 1990s, NASA has identified a total of 5,690 exoplanets as of mid-July. Most of these were detected using the transit method, which involves observing a temporary dip in starlight caused by a planet passing in front of its star.
The Webb telescope, launched in 2021 by NASA and the European Space Agency, remains the most advanced and powerful astronomical observatory in space, continuing the search for more distant and potentially Earth-like planets.
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