Nasa's Webb Reveals Planet's Survival After Star's Demise
WHO:
NASA - The agency responsible for the James Webb Space Telescope.
Astronomers - The scientists who discovered the giant planet orbiting a dead star in 2020.
WHAT:
Yahoo - The planet WD 1856 b is "significantly warmer" than expected, with a temperature of around 400 Kelvins (126°C), which is about 240 degrees hotter than it would be if its only heat source was the light from the white dwarf.
Yahoo - The study concluded that the heating of WD 1856 b most likely occurred between 3 billion and 5.5 billion years after the star became a white dwarf.
Yahoo - The planet is estimated to be between 4 and 11 times as massive as Jupiter.
Mashable - NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveals the first atmosphere of an exoplanet orbiting a white dwarf, indicating that the planet actually got hotter after its star died.
NASA - The James Webb Space Telescope is providing new insights into the future of solar systems.
Phys.org - Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope may explain how a giant planet survived the violent demise of its star.
WHERE:
NASA - The observations pertain to solar systems similar to our own.
WHEN:
Phys.org - The giant planet was discovered in 2020.
WHY:
Phys.org - There was curiosity about how the giant planet survived its star's violent demise.
HOW:
Yahoo - The research team used spectroscopy to analyze the light passing through the planet's atmosphere during a "grazing transit," which provided unique information about the planet's mass and temperature.
NASA - The James Webb Space Telescope is studying the conditions and events surrounding the death of stars and the survival of orbiting planets.
(UPDATED July 2, 2026 04:21 UTC)
Scientists have discovered that the planet WD 1856 b is significantly warmer than previously thought, with a temperature of around 400 Kelvins, which is about 240 degrees hotter than if it were solely heated by its white dwarf star. The study indicates that this unusual heating likely occurred between 3 billion and 5.5 billion years after the star transitioned into a white dwarf, and the planet itself is estimated to be between 4 and 11 times as massive as Jupiter. To gather this information, the research team utilized spectroscopy to analyze the light passing through the planet's atmosphere during a grazing transit, revealing crucial details about its mass and temperature.
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(UPDATED July 1, 2026 17:38 UTC)
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has made a groundbreaking discovery by revealing the first atmosphere of an exoplanet orbiting a white dwarf. This fascinating finding indicates that the planet actually became hotter after its star died. The research opens up new avenues for understanding the life cycles of stars and their planets.
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(UPDATED July 1, 2026 15:56 UTC)
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is shedding light on the future of solar systems by studying how a giant planet managed to survive the violent demise of its star. This giant planet, discovered by astronomers in 2020, offers new insights into solar systems similar to our own. The telescope's observations are crucial for understanding the conditions and events surrounding the death of stars and the resilience of orbiting planets.