Eyeing up Earth-like planets

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Eyeing up Earth-like planets with the James Webb Space Telescope

Almost 2000 exoplanets have been discovered to date, ranging from rocky Earth-like planets to hot-Jupiters, and orbiting every type of star. But how many of these distant worlds are habitable? Today’s technology means that we currently have very little information about what exoplanets are like beyond their presence, size and distance from star. With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we may have our first glimpses into atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets, according to the results of a study by Dr Joanna Barstow presented at the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno on Wednesday 8th July.

Read more...