Webb Reveals Atmosphere on a Jupiter-sized World Orbiting a White Dwarf
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope detected an atmosphere around WD 1856 b, a Jupiter-sized planet that orbits the Earth-sized white dwarf WD 1856+534—marking the first atmospheric detection for a world around a dead star. Transmission spectroscopy during a transit revealed hydrocarbons, likely methane, plus a hazy cloud layer and a faint glow from the planet’s night side, indicating residual heat. The planet, about 80 light-years away, completes a close 34-hour orbit and is roughly seven times wider than its star, suggesting a past heating event and likely inward migration after the star’s transformation. The team plans additional Webb transits to better pin down its chemistry and formation history.
