NASA has announced the discovery of TWA 7b, a newly identified exoplanet located approximately 34 light-years from Earth, using the James Webb Space Telescope. The planet is estimated to have around 100 times the mass of Earth and is situated in a potentially habitable zone, marking a significant step in the ongoing search for life beyond our solar system.
Preliminary analyses indicate that TWA 7b is a young, cold planet, with a surface temperature of about 49°C, which falls within the range of temperatures that could support life, depending on other atmospheric and environmental conditions.
The planet orbits a red dwarf star known as TWA 7 and is surrounded by a dust disk, a feature often linked with early planetary system formation.
This is also the first direct image of TWA 7b captured by the Webb Telescope, achieved using advanced high-contrast imaging techniques. These methods enable scientists to detect faint planets near bright stars, a task that has traditionally been extremely challenging.
The discovery confirms the Webb Telescope’s powerful capabilities in detecting low-mass exoplanets and provides new insights into the formation and structure of planetary systems.