The Age of the Anomalous: How Webb Telescope Discoveries Are Rewriting Planetary Formation Over 90% of the exoplanets discovered to date defy easy categorization. They challenge our established models of planetary formation, forcing scientists to reconsider the very building blocks of worlds beyond our solar system. The recent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observation of … Read more
The Era of ‘Impossible’ Planets: How Webb Telescope Discoveries are Rewriting Planetary Formation Just 12% of stars in the Milky Way are estimated to have a planet similar to Earth. But what if ‘similar’ isn’t the rule, and ‘utterly bizarre’ is far more common? The recent discovery of an exoplanet, dubbed WASP-103b, with a drastically … Read more
Diamond Rain and Lemon-Shaped Planets: The Dawn of Atmospheric Exoplanet Science Over 5,500 exoplanets have been confirmed, but the recent discoveries orbiting the star WASP-103b are forcing astronomers to rethink what constitutes a ‘typical’ world. This isn’t just about finding another Earth; it’s about understanding the sheer diversity of planetary formation and the extreme conditions … Read more