NASA's James Webb documents HD 80606 b's 1,100°F temperature spike
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope just checked out HD 80606 b, a giant planet about four times the mass of Jupiter, with a seriously weird orbit.
When it swings close to its star, the planet's temperature jumps by a scorching 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit in no time.
Unlike most "hot Jupiters" that stick close to their stars, this one takes a long, stretched-out path and circles its sun every 111.4 days.
MIRI detects methane and CO2 changes
Using its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), Webb watched HD 80606 b before, during, and after its closest approach.
Scientists saw the planet's atmosphere heat up way more than earlier missions had shown and even spotted changes in gasses like methane and carbon dioxide.
As principal investigator Tiffany Kataria of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory put it, these findings help us understand how planets survive and change when things get really intense out there.