Latest news with #Webb
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb Space Telescope's discovery of Saturn-like planet is total flex of its imaging power
Astronomers continue to expand the opportunities of discovery using Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope, and the recent findings of a possible Saturn twin is another first for the powerful instrument. A team of astronomers used Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument to detect the faint source of light within the debris surrounding a 6.4-million-year-old star known as TWA 7, according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. What's exciting about this faint signal is that its brightness, color and distance from its star match theoretical predictions for a young, cold Saturn-mass planet. First Celestial Images From 10-Year Project Photographing The Universe Released "Our observations reveal a strong candidate for a planet shaping the structure of the TWA 7 debris disk, and its position is exactly where we expected to find a planet of this mass," said Anne-Marie Lagrange, lead author of the paper and CNRS researcher at the Observatoire de Paris-PSL and Université Grenoble Alpes. To find this hidden planet within the debris disk, the researchers used MIRI's coronagraph to suppress the bright light of the host star to search for any faint nearby objects. According to NASA, this technique is called high-contract imaging and allows astronomers to find objects like exoplanets that would otherwise be completely washed out by the light from their host stars. Astronomers Detect Pulse From Satellite That Has Been Dead For Decades The image above is a combination of ground-based observations from ESO's Very Large Telescope and data from Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument. The star is marked with a circle and a star symbol; the bright orange spot to the right of the star is the possible planet dubbed TWA 7b within the debris disc. According to the study, TWA 7b has a mass about the same as Saturn and a temperature of around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If confirmed, the planet orbiting star TWA 7 will be Webb's first direct image discovery of a low-mass planet and the lightest ever seen using high-contract imaging. More observations will hopefully confirm the planet article source: James Webb Space Telescope's discovery of Saturn-like planet is total flex of its imaging power
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Science
- TimesLIVE
For first time, Webb telescope discovers an alien planet
In addition to providing a trove of information about the early universe, the James Webb Space Telescope since its 2021 launch has obtained valuable data on various already-known planets beyond our solar system, called exoplanets. Now, for the first time, Webb has discovered an exoplanet not previously known. Webb has directly imaged a young gas giant planet roughly the size of Saturn, our solar system's second-largest planet, orbiting a star smaller than the sun located about 110 light-years from Earth in the constellation Antlia, researchers said. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 9.5-trillion km. Most of the roughly 5,900 exoplanets discovered since the 1990s have been detected using indirect methods, such as through observation of the slight dimming of a star's light when a planet passes in front of it, called the transit method. Less than 2% of them have been directly imaged, as Webb did with the newly identified planet. While this planet is large when considered in the context of our solar system, it is actually the least massive one ever discovered through direct imaging — 10 times less massive than the previous record holder. This speaks to the sensitivity of Webb's instruments. This discovery was achieved using a French-produced coronagraph, a device that blocks out the bright light from a star, installed on Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument, or MIRI.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Pregnant Shaughna Phillips' drug dealer baby dad was jailed after raid
Love Island star Shaughna Phillips saw her happy personal life fall apart in 2023 when her boyfriend, Billy Webb, was arrested and jailed for illegal drugs crimes Love Island star Shaughna Phillips has declared she is "very happy" after reviving her relationship with the father of her child - who is in jail. The 31-year-old reality star found fame on ITV's long-running dating show in 2020 when she was a contestant on season six. While in the villa, the Londoner embarked on a romance with fellow contestant Callum Jones - but she was ultimately dumped from the Island after more than a month of being on the show. While romance failed on TV, Shaughna had better luck back in the real world. Since 2020, she has had an on-off relationship with real estate agent Billy Webb. All appeared to be going well for the couple in 2022 when the reality star fell pregnant with their first child. But things took a dramatic turn in January 2023 when Billy was arrested while Shaughna was 30 weeks pregnant. After dumping Billy and welcoming their daughter, Lucia, Shaughna recently revealed that she had reunited with her ex - who has been able to enjoy home day privileges while serving time. But why is Love Island star Shaughna Phillips's boyfriend Billy Webb in Jail? Here are the details of his dramatic arrest and sentencing. Who is Billy Webb and why is he in jail? Billy Webb is a former estate agent who was jailed in November 2023 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply 4.5kg of cocaine worth at least £360,000. He was arrested following a Met Police drugs raid in January that year - when Shaughna was 30 weeks pregnant with their first child. After standing trial at Southwark Crown Court, Webb was sentenced to nine years behind bars for seven drug offences - including dealing. At the time Southwark Crown Court heard Webb, of London, ran a 'relatively successful' drug operation called Barry's Party Supplies offering cocaine, MDMA and ketamine, with special discounts before major football matches. Webb was arrested in January 2023 after being stopped and searched by police, who later found scales and bundles of cash. He was also linked to criminals' secret messaging service Encrochat, the court was told. Mitigating, Webb's lawyer Nichola Cafferkey said: 'He knows it's through his own actions he's separated from [his loved ones] and he should be assisting the upbringing of his young family.' Shaughna denied knowing about Webb's criminal activities. Last Christmas, Shaughna sparked surprise when she revealed she was spending time with Webb during the festive season, with it being suggested at the time he had been released from jail. Reports have since revealed that the convicted criminal has been permitted to leave his prison on day release - with the former estate agent seemingly given the privileges after serving 12 months behind bars. When did Shaughna Phillips and Billy Webb get back together? When Webb was arrested in January 2023, Shaughna saw her world fall apart - and two months later, she gave birth to their daughter, Lucia. During Webb's trial, the Love Island star penned a letter on behalf of their daughter to be read out in court. She previously said of the note: ''There was absolutely no discussion of leniency. Billy pled guilty to something that he'd done, and there was no denying that fact that's done.' She added: "I described how Billy is as a person and it was from Lucia's point of view, and included things like, 'I'm looking forward to being with my dad when he's home.' I had a duty to do that for her as her Mummy. The fact I wrote the letter was then spun up into a story in the papers, saying we were back together. That couldn't be further from the truth." While fans were convinced Webb's conviction would be the end of the relationship, they were surprised when Shaughna revealed they were spending Christmas together last year. In a social media post, the ITV star revealed: "If you had told me this time last year, that me and Billy would be taking Lucia to see Santa next Christmas, I probably wouldn't have let myself believe you. The best couple of days, this Christmas is going to be so special." She also told fans via social media that she would not consider appearing on Love Island: All Stars as she was not "single". And this month, Shaughna revealed she is pregnant with her second child with Webb having been able to spend time with him while he continues to serve his time. She exclusively told the Mirror: "We're so happy to announce we are adding to our little family. Lucia is going to be the best big sister and is really excited to have a new baby brother or sister arrive later this year."
Mint
2 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Webb telescope discovers its first-ever alien exoplanet. Here's what we know
The James Webb Space Telescope, launched into space in 2021, has directly imaged and discovered a young gas giant exoplanet, which is approximately the size of Saturn, nearly 110 light years away from Earth in the constellation Antlia, reported the news agency Reuters, citing official researchers aware of the development. According to the report, this is the first time that the deep space telescope has discovered an alien exoplanet which was not previously documented by humans. Since the telescope's launch in 2021, the high-tech space equipment has gathered valuable data on various already-known planets beyond our solar system and early universe data. Scientists call these distant planets exoplanets. The Webb telescope is a highly capable piece of space equipment that can see distant planets in terms of light years. The new alien exoplanet is situated nearly 110 light years away from Earth, where every light year, the distance travelled by a ray of light in a year, is 9.5 trillion kilometres, according to the agency report. Most of the 5,900 exoplanets discovered since the 1990s have been detected through indirect methods, like the transit method, which observes the slight dimming of a star's light when a planet passes in front of it. The news report also highlighted that less than 2 per cent of the earlier exoplanets have been directly imaged, like the Webb telescope's current finding. The plant was found using a French-produced chronograph, a device which is used to block out the bright light from a star, equipped on the Webb telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The new exoplanet which is approximately the size of out Saturn orbits its host star called TWA 7 at a distance 52 times greater than Earth's orbital distance around the Sun, as per the agency report. 'Webb opens a new window - in terms of mass and the distance of a planet to the star - of exoplanets that had not been accessible to observations so far. This is important to explore the diversity of exoplanetary systems and understand how they form and evolve,' said astronomer Anne-Marie Lagrange, cited by the news agency. Lagrange also highlighted how the indirect methods provide incredible information for planets close to their stars. However, the imaging is needed to detect and characterise planets which are further away in space. According to the agency report, the star and planet found in the research are practically newborns with about 6 million years in age, compared to our solar system, which is 4.5 billion years old. However, the report also highlighted that the researchers do not yet know the composition of the exoplanet's atmosphere, are are looking forward to the future findings of the Webb telescope to determine an answer. 'Looking forward, I do hope the projects of direct imaging of Earth-like planets and searches for possible signs of life will become a reality,' said Lagrange, as cited in the news agency's report.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Arab Times
James Webb Space Telescope discovers new exoplanet through direct imaging
NEW YORK, June 26: Since its launch in 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has not only provided extensive insights into the early universe but also gathered important data on known exoplanets — planets beyond our solar system. Now, for the first time, JWST has directly discovered a previously unknown exoplanet. The telescope captured an image of a young gas giant roughly the size of Saturn, orbiting a star smaller than the Sun about 110 light-years away in the constellation Antlia. (A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, approximately 5.9 trillion miles or 9.5 trillion kilometers.) Most of the approximately 5,900 exoplanets found since the 1990s have been detected using indirect techniques, such as the transit method, which measures the slight dimming of a star's light when a planet crosses in front of it. Less than 2% of exoplanets have been directly imaged, making this discovery notable. Although this planet is large compared to those in our solar system, it is actually the least massive exoplanet ever detected by direct imaging, being ten times lighter than the previous smallest one discovered. This highlights the remarkable sensitivity of Webb's instruments. This achievement was made possible by a French-built coronagraph—a device that blocks the intense light from a star—integrated into Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). "Webb opens a new window in terms of detecting planets of smaller mass and at greater distances from their stars, previously inaccessible to observation," said astronomer Anne-Marie Lagrange of France's CNRS and LIRA/Observatoire de Paris, who led the study published in Nature. "This is key to exploring the diversity of planetary systems and understanding their formation and evolution." The newly found planet orbits its star, known as TWA 7, at a distance about 52 times that between Earth and the Sun. To provide perspective, Neptune—the outermost planet in our solar system—circles the Sun at about 30 times Earth's distance. The transit method excels at finding planets close to their stars, but imaging is essential for detecting and analyzing those orbiting farther away. Planetary systems begin with the collapse of a large molecular cloud of gas and dust under gravity, forming a central star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk of leftover material that eventually forms planets. Both the star TWA 7 and its planet are very young—around 6 million years old—compared to the Sun's age of roughly 4.5 billion years. Viewing the system nearly face-on, researchers could identify the structure of the disk, which contains two wide concentric rings of rocky and dusty material, along with a narrow ring where the planet resides. The composition of the planet's atmosphere remains unknown, but future JWST observations may shed light on this. Scientists also aren't sure whether the young planet is still growing by accumulating nearby material. While this is the smallest exoplanet directly imaged to date, it is still far more massive than rocky planets like Earth, which are prime targets in the search for extraterrestrial life. Despite JWST's powerful near- and mid-infrared capabilities, it currently cannot directly image Earth-sized exoplanets. 'Looking ahead, I hope that direct imaging of Earth-like planets and the search for signs of life will become achievable,' Lagrange concluded.
