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By NASA
6 Min Read NASA’s Webb Investigates Eternal Sunrises, Sunsets on Distant World
Artists concept of WASP-39 b (full image below). Near-infrared spectral analysis of terminator confirms differences in morning and evening atmosphere
Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have finally confirmed what models have previously predicted: An exoplanet has differences between its eternal morning and eternal evening atmosphere. WASP-39 b, a giant planet with a diameter 1.3 times greater than Jupiter, but similar mass to Saturn that orbits a star about 700 light-years away from Earth, is tidally locked to its parent star. This means it has a constant dayside and a constant nightside—one side of the planet is always exposed to its star, while the other is always shrouded in darkness.
Using Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph), astronomers confirmed a temperature difference between the eternal morning and eternal evening on WASP-39 b, with the evening appearing hotter by roughly 300 Fahrenheit degrees (about 200 Celsius degrees). They also found evidence for different cloud cover, with the forever morning portion of the planet being likely cloudier than the evening.
Image A: Artist Concept WASP-39 b
This artist’s concept shows what the exoplanet WASP-39 b could look like based on indirect transit observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope as well as other space- and ground-based telescopes. Data collected by Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) show variations between the eternal morning and evening atmosphere of the planet. Astronomers analyzed the 2- to 5-micron transmission spectrum of WASP-39 b, a technique that studies the exoplanet’s terminator, the boundary that separates the planet’s dayside and nightside. A transmission spectrum is made by comparing starlight filtered through a planet’s atmosphere as it moves in front of the star, to the unfiltered starlight detected when the planet is beside the star. When making that comparison, researchers can get information about the temperature, composition, and other properties of the planet’s atmosphere.
“WASP-39 b has become a sort of benchmark planet in studying the atmosphere of exoplanets with Webb,” said Néstor Espinoza, an exoplanet researcher at the Space Telescope Science Institute and lead author on the study. “It has an inflated, puffy atmosphere, so the signal coming from starlight filtered through the planet’s atmosphere is quite strong.”
Previously published Webb spectra of WASP-39b’s atmosphere, which revealed the presence of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and sodium, represent the entire day/night boundary – there was no detailed attempt to differentiate between one side and the other.
Now, the new analysis builds two different spectra from the terminator region, essentially splitting the day/night boundary into two semicircles, one from the evening, and the other from the morning. Data reveals the evening as significantly hotter, a searing 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit (800 degrees Celsius), and the morning a relatively cooler 1,150 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius).
Image B: Transmission Spectra
“It’s really stunning that we are able to parse this small difference out, and it’s only possible due Webb’s sensitivity across near-infrared wavelengths and its extremely stable photometric sensors,” said Espinoza. “Any tiny movement in the instrument or with the observatory while collecting data would have severely limited our ability to make this detection. It must be extraordinarily precise, and Webb is just that.”
Extensive modeling of the data obtained also allows researchers to investigate the structure of WASP-39 b’s atmosphere, the cloud cover, and why the evening is hotter. While future work by the team will study how the cloud cover may affect temperature, and vice versa, astronomers confirmed gas circulation around the planet as the main culprit of the temperature difference on WASP-39 b.
On a highly irradiated exoplanet like WASP-39 b that orbits relatively close to its star, researchers generally expect the gas to be moving as the planet rotates around its star: Hotter gas from the dayside should move through the evening to the nightside via a powerful equatorial jet stream. Since the temperature difference is so extreme, the air pressure difference would also be significant, which in turn would cause high wind speeds.
Image C: Transit Light Curve
Using General Circulation Models, 3-dimensional models similar to the ones used to predict weather patterns on Earth, researchers found that on WASP-39 b the prevailing winds are likely moving from the night side across the morning terminator, around the dayside, across the evening terminator and then around the nightside. As a result, the morning side of the terminator is cooler than the evening side. In other words, the morning side gets slammed with winds of air that have been cooled on the nightside, while the evening is hit by winds of air heated on the dayside. Research suggests the wind speeds on WASP-39 b can reach thousands of miles an hour!
“This analysis is also particularly interesting because you’re getting 3D information on the planet that you weren’t getting before,” added Espinoza. “Because we can tell that the evening edge is hotter, that means it’s a little puffier. So, theoretically, there is a small swell at the terminator approaching the nightside of the planet.”
The team’s results have been published in Nature.
The researchers will now look to use the same method of analysis to study atmospheric differences of other tidally locked hot Jupiters, as part of Webb Cycle 2 General Observers Program 3969.
WASP-39 b was among the first targets analyzed by Webb as it began regular science operations in 2022. The data in this study was collected under Early Release Science program 1366, designed to help scientists quickly learn how to use the telescope’s instruments and realize its full science potential.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
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The research results have been published in Nature.
Media Contacts
Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Hannah Braun hbraun@stsci.edu Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Related Information
ARTICLE: What is an Exoplanet?
VIDEO: How do we learn about a planet’s Atmosphere?
VIDEO: Reading the Rainbow of Light from an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere
VIDEO: Science Snippets – Exoplanets
BLOG: Reconnaissance of Potentially Habitable Worlds with NASA’s Webb
More Webb News – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/latestnews/
More Webb Images – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/
Webb Mission Page – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
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By NASA
Managing the Stress of Parenting
Date: Thursday, June 13, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM -12:00 PM CST
Speakers / POCs: EAP Clinicians Dr. Carla Randolph (carla.e.randolph@nasa.gov) and Dr. Sophia Sills-Tailor (sophia.c.sills-tailor@nasa.gov)
Parenthood is a beautiful journey, but it comes with its unique set of challenges and stresses. Join us for a dynamic webinar on “Managing the Stress of Parenting,” where we’ll delve into effective strategies for navigating the ups and downs of raising children while maintaining your own well-being and work / life balance. We will share practical tips and valuable insights to help you cultivate resilience, reduce parental stress, and foster healthy family dynamics. From setting boundaries and practicing self-care to building strong support networks and enhancing communication with your children, this webinar offers actionable advice to empower you on your parenting journey.
This is open for ALL NASA employees! To join this webinar please click here.
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Emotional Intelligence in The Workplace
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Speaker / POC: Susan Wilcox, (susan.k.wilcox@nasa.gov)
Unlock the power of emotional intelligence and elevate your professional journey. Join Susan Wilcox (GRC EAP) for this session focused on understanding emotional intelligence and its critical role in workplace interactions and overall success.
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Neurodiversity in the Workplacee
Date: June 25, 2024
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Host: Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO)
Speaker / POC: Hanna.l.bogner@NASA.gov
Join us for a discussion on Neurodiversity in the workplace with Jaclyn Hunt, a Board-Certified Cognitive Specialist (BCCS) and author specializing in working with adults on the autism spectrum. Whether you’re interested in understanding neurodiverse colleagues or are on the spectrum yourself, this presentation covers it all. With one out of every 36 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States today, along with over 5 million diagnosed adults, understanding neurodiversity is crucial. This session focuses on educating participants about neurodiversity in the workplace and how to best support individuals on the autism spectrum. Learning about neurodiversity not only helps those on the spectrum function successfully in the world, it also fosters a more accepting and understanding environment enriched with effective communication for all.
If you have questions you’d like to ask anonymously, please visit our Ask-Ahead Questions page on the Health4Life website. Questions submitted anonymously will be addressed during the presentation.
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By NASA
2 min read
NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health
Biological data from the Inspiration4 crew has been added to NASA’s Open Science Data Repository, giving researchers access to better understand the impact of space on the human body. SpaceX/Inspiration4 NASA’s Open Science Data Repository provides valuable information to researchers studying the impact of space on the human body. Nearly three years after the Inspiration4 commercial crew launch, biological data from the mission represents the first comprehensive, open-access database to include commercial astronaut health information.
Access to astronaut research data from astronauts has historically been limited, due to privacy regulations and concerns, but the field of astronauts is changing as commercial spaceflight becomes feasible for civilians.
“Open-access data is fundamentally transforming our approach to spaceflight research,” said Dr. Sylvain Costes, project manager of the Open Science Data Repository. “The repository is instrumental in this transformation, ensuring that all space-related biological and biomedical data are accessible to everyone. This broad access is vital for driving innovation across fields from astronaut health to terrestrial medical sciences.”
The collaborative efforts in opening data researchers has led to multiple scientific papers on astronaut health published in Nature in June. The papers represents research to better understand the impact of spaceflight on the human body, how viruses might spread in a zero-gravity environment, and how countermeasures may protect humans on future long-duration missions.
Ongoing access to the data captured by commercial astronauts means the research can continue long after the crew returns to Earth, impacting the future of research beyond spaceflight, including cancer and genetic diseases and bone health.
“This series of inspiring articles enabled by the repository and enriched by new data generously shared by commercial astronauts aboard the Inspiration4 mission exemplifies our commitment to open science,” said Costes. “By making our data fully accessible and usable, we’re enabling researchers worldwide to explore new frontiers in space biology.”
NASA’s Open Science Data Repository is based out of the agency’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. NASA continues to pursue the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. Through science conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogs, and missions to the International Space Station, NASA continues to research innovative ways to keep astronauts healthy as space explorations continues to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
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