Rift Valley News / Science & Climate

Science & Climate · ScienceDaily · Top Science

James Webb reveals a strange bulge in an alien planet's atmosphere

2026-10-16T23:27:29.000Z

Source brief · The publisher’s headline and teaser, with a link to its report.

From ScienceDaily · Top Science

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered that a distant alien planet's atmosphere is surprisingly lopsided. Located 1,300 light-years away, the scorching gas giant WASP-17b experiences powerful winds that redistribute heat, causing one side of its atmosphere to bulge…

Caption: During cryogenic testing, the mirrors will be subjected to temperatures dipping to 24 Kelvins, permitting engineers to measure in extreme detail how the shape of each…
Photo: NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham/Emmett Given / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Behind this report

News desk
Science & Climate
Published
2026-10-16T23:27:29.000Z
Linked source records
1

The available source material is a short summary. Check the linked reports for the full detail.

Sources and further reading

  1. ScienceDaily · Top Science — James Webb reveals a strange bulge in an alien planet's atmosphere