James Webb Space Telescope directly studies an exoplanet's surface for the 1st time: 'We see a dark, hot, barren rock'

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have, for the first time, directly analyzed the surface of a planet beyond our solar system, The James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) exoplanet subject, LHS 3844 b , is a so-called "super-Earth" about 30% larger than our planet and located nearly 50 light-years away. Unlike most exoplanet studies, which focus on atmospheres, astronomers analyzed heat emitted from this planet's surface. …