James Webb space telescope captures distant exoplanet atmosphere

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JWST found sulphur dioxide on distant "hot Saturn" planet WASP-39 b.

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"An full menu of atoms, molecules, and even hints of active chemistry and clouds" have been found by JWST and other satellite telescopes.

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Extraordinary molecular data signals. News stunned astronomer Mercedes López-Morales. 

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Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics researcher López-Morales adds to arXiv.

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Recent JWST data suggest that the planet's cloud may be patchy, which will help scientists better comprehend its chemical composition.

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WASP-39 b was identified with a "broad swath of the infrared spectrum 

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and a myriad of chemical fingerprints inaccessible before JWST," according to UC Santa Cruz astronomer Natalie Batalha.

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First sulfur dioxide exoplanet found. Like Earth's ozone layer, high-energy radiation from the planet's parent star initiates molecular production.

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The JWST identified sodium, potassium, and water vapor. 

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These findings confirm satellite and ground-based telescope research and reveal surprising water features.

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WASP-39 b's hydrogen atmosphere and 8,800-degree temperatures make it inhospitable.

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Recent observations suggest JWST can find life on faraway planets.