James Webb Telescope spots extraterrestrial light outside our solar system. Here's what NASA has to say

NASA's cutting-edge James Webb Space Telescope has once again helped humanity unveil cosmic wonders beyond our imagination. Following up on the work of NASA's infrared Spitzer Space Telescope, Webb has now found an Earth-like planet that emits light.

Now, if you're wondering why this is groundbreaking, the answer is a simple one: this is the first time any light has been detected as being emitted from another planet outside of our solar system.

First such find

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In a statement, NASA said, "This is the first detection of any form of light emitted by an exoplanet as small and as cool as the rocky planets in our own solar system."

"The result marks an important step in determining whether planets orbiting small active stars like TRAPPIST-1 can sustain atmospheres needed to support life."

"It also bodes well for Webb's ability to characterise temperate, Earth-sized exoplanets using MIRI," added the American space agency.

Thomas Greene, an astrophysicist at NASA's Ames Research Center, emphasised the significance of these observations, and said: "These observations really take advantage of Webb’s mid-infrared capability."

"No previous telescopes have had the sensitivity to measure such dim mid-infrared light," he added, lauding the findings published in the journal Nature.

TRAPPIST-1 b

The planet in question is called 'TRAPPIST-1 b' and it shares Earth's composition. It is also roughly the same size as our planet.

The researchers, as per the ESA Webb website, employed secondary eclipse photometry, a technique using the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI)to measure changes in brightness as the planet moved behind its star. It found that while TRAPPIST-1 b does not emit visible light, it does emit infrared light.

However, as per a LAD bible report, the planet is missing an atmosphere and thus cannot support life.

"Previous observations of TRAPPIST-1 b with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, as well as NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, found no evidence for a puffy atmosphere, but were not able to rule out a dense one," says the WSA Webb website.

As per Pierre-Olivier Lagage from CEA, a co-author on the paper, "This planet is tidally locked, with one side facing the star at all times and the other in permanent darkness."

"If it has an atmosphere to circulate and redistribute the heat, the dayside will be cooler than if there is no atmosphere," said Lagage.

The planet which gets about four times the amount of energy that Earth gets from the Sun has a dayside temperature of around 500 kelvins, or 230 degrees Celsius — not an ideal temperature for life.

(With inputs from agencies)