Space just got weirder as $10bn NASA telescope finds its first exoplanet in glowing debris rings
Published on Jun 27, 2025 at 8:20 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jun 27, 2025 at 11:11 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered its first-ever exoplanet near a distant star, NASA has said.
An exoplanet is a planet that is outside of our solar system.
It’s the first time the telescope has captured evidence of an exoplanet since it was launched in 2022.
The planet, which has been named TWA 7b, and its 50 times the distance of Earth from the Sun.
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NASA used a clever technique to spot the exoplanet
NASA astronomers say the James Webb Space Telescope has captured ‘compelling evidence’ of the Saturn-sized exoplanet, which appears to show that TWA 7b orbits a nearby young star called TWA 7.
The exoplanet was seen in a gap between one of the three dust rings inside the debris disk that surrounds TWA 7.
Usually, it would be difficult to detect an exoplanet, but the team used a technique called high-contrast imaging.
They used the telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) coronograph to suppress the bright glare of the TWA 7 star and reveal any other objects nearby, which allows scientists to detect planets that would otherwise be completely lost in the overwhelmingly bright light of the host star.
Clever, right?
“This observatory enables us to capture images of planets with masses similar to those in the solar system, which represents an exciting step forward in our understanding of planetary systems, including our own,” said Mathilde Malin of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
Early analysis from the team suggests the TWA 7b could be a young planet that’s around 100 times the mass of Earth and with a temperature of around 120°F (47°C).
The team behind the research has said the discovery highlights the James Webb Space Telescope’s incredible ability to explore previously unseen parts of our universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope is a truly incredible tool
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched by NASA in December 2022 and is the largest and most powerful telescope in space.
During its time in use, the telescope has made some incredible discoveries, like helping to find the’strongest evidence’ yet of potential life beyond Earth and revealing that the universe is expanding faster than we thought.
Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb doesn’t orbit the Earth; it actually orbits the sun around a million miles away from our planet.
It’s currently been active for a little over three and a half years, but was designed for a mission of at least five years, with a goal of 10 years, meaning there’s still plenty of time for it to make more groundbreaking discoveries.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
