James Webb Space Telescope

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Astronomers map lopsided atmosphere on a distant hot Jupiter

In operation since mid-2022

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope found that WASP-17b, a scorching gas giant 1,300 light-years away, has a lopsided atmosphere that bulges outward on one side. The finding, published in Nature Astronomy on October 14, comes from a technique called transmission strings that maps the atmosphere's outer edge at many angles during a transit.

Updated Oct 18