8legs: James webb space telescope (jwst)

#1 out of 17.73%

Webb Telescope Maps Bare Rock on Distant Super-Earth, Finds No Signs of Tectonic Activity

JWST data indicate LHS 3844 b has a dark, basaltic surface and likely lacks a thick atmosphere.
Researchers say Earth-like plate tectonics may not operate on this hot world or are ineffective there.
The planet orbits very close to its star and is tidally locked, with dayside temperatures around 1,000 Kelvin.
No sulfur dioxide was detected, weakening the case for recent volcanic activity.
JWST observations enable reading the planet’s surface directly, a new mode for exoplanet science.
Two history scenarios could explain the dark surface: fresh volcanism or long-term space weathering.
Space weathering could also produce a dark surface through regolith formation.
LHS 3844 b is about 48 light-years away and 30% larger than Earth.
The study integrates mid-infrared data with comparisons to rocks known from Earth, Moon, and Mars.
This finding adds to the growing field of exoplanet geology using JWST's mid-infrared observations.

Vote 1