WASP-39 b
Position on the route: 121/130 · level needed 1850 · journey (Mk0 engine) 414.6 h
By the numbers
| Distance | ≈ 700 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | ≈ 0.28 Jupiter |
| Year | 4.06 days |
| Temperature | ≈ 800–900 °C |
The story
WASP-39 b is the star of JWST’s first science observations (July 2022): the first clear detection of carbon dioxide in an exoplanet atmosphere. It is a ‘puffy’ hot gas giant circling its star in 4 days, wider than Jupiter but with a mass near Saturn’s. Water vapour, sodium and potassium were also found in its atmosphere.
On the same planet, in November 2022, sulphur dioxide made by photochemistry was seen for the first time in an exoplanet atmosphere: starlight breaks gases apart and recombines them. WASP-39 b proved that JWST can measure exoplanet atmospheres in detail.
Missions
- JWST (2022): carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide
- Hubble and Spitzer: earlier spectra
Colony note
A gas giant: no surface. An orbital station, Mk3 shield. Lattice territory.
☠ A hot Saturn: no surface. An orbital station only.
What probes bring back
- JWST’s first early-release observations (2022): the first clear detection of carbon dioxide in an exoplanet atmosphere; sulphur dioxide made by photochemistry followed.
- A hot Saturn: mass ≈ 0.28 Jupiter, a 4-day year, about 700 light-years away.