James Webb Space Telescope Detects Weather Pattern on Exoplanet 690 Light Years Away

The James Webb Space Telescope recorded atmospheric data from the exoplanet WASP-94 A b, located 690 light years from Earth. Observations showed thick clouds forming continuously on the planet's night side before dissipating as winds carried them to the day side.

Astronomers analyzed starlight filtered through the planet's atmosphere at different rotation phases. The measurements revealed how cloud patterns change across the planet's surface.

The findings were published on 21 May in the journal Science.

The study demonstrates that tracking multiple phases of a planet's rotation can provide additional information about atmospheric conditions. Researchers noted that large planets typically block about 1% of their star's light, with an even smaller fraction passing through the atmosphere. This produces faint signals that require sensitive instruments to detect.