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Health & Science3h 48m ago
Astronomers found clear differences between the morning and evening terminators of exoplanet WASP-121 b, where day turns to night, using the James Webb Space Telescope.
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exoplanet WASP-121 b
Who
Cyril Gapp of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
What
Astronomers found clear differences between the morning and evening terminators of exoplanet WASP-121 b, where day turns to night, using the James Webb Space Telescope.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 23:07:00 GMT · 3h 48m ago
Where
exoplanet WASP-121 b ·
Why
The differences in atmospheric conditions on WASP-121 b are due to one side of the planet facing its star nonstop while the other remains in darkness, creating extreme temperature variations.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery sharpens views of alien weather and offers a more detailed understanding of how temperature and chemistry shift across an exoplanet's atmosphere, moving beyond treating limbs as uniform. This new method could improve atmospheric models for exoplanets and help identify future observation targets.
Story chain
3 events in this thread- Health & Science3h 48m agoAstronomers discovered that WASP-121 b's morning and evening terminators, where day transitions to night, have distinct differences in heat and chemistry.Open article
- Health & Science3h 48m agoJWST reveals that WASP-121 b’s dawn and dusk atmospheres differ in heat and chemistry, sharpening views of alien weather.Open article
- Currently Reading3h 48m agoAstronomers found clear differences between the morning and evening terminators of exoplanet WASP-121 b, where day turns to night, using the James Webb Space Telescope.