Why James Webb Space Telescope images are TERRIFYING astronomers Ever since the launch and release of key observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, the world has been thrown into a frenzy. In the midst of the euphoria at the never-ever-seen crisp and near perfect images from James Webb Space Telescope some scientists are raising concern as to whether the data being received from the James Webb Space Telescope are being correctly analysed and interpreted by astronomers. Their concern is based on the fact that current instruments used in telescopic data analysis by astronomers may be outdated and unable to properly analyse the minutest details rendered by the James Webb Space telescope. Many scientific voices are being raised on the subject like the recently published work done by researchers at the MIT. As a matter of fact, a new study urges caution in interpreting the chemical fingerprints that the James Webb Space Telescope is collecting of alien worlds. James Webb Space Telescope’s Early Science Release program has been delivering exquisite data on a variety of celestial targets. Some of the most anticipated of these are the spectra of exoplanets. But a study in Nature Astronomy urges caution in interpreting these chemical fingerprints of alien worlds. Could it be that the exquisite data being returned by James Webb Space Telescope has been wrongly interpreted by astronomers? What exactly are the discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope? Join us as we unravel the discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope! But before then, just a gentle reminder to like, share and subscribe to our channel. Astronomers study exoplanets light spread apart into its basic components, or wavelengths as the planet passes in front of its star. When starlight zips across the atmosphere round the planet, the foreign air leaves its trail, absorbing light at given wavelengths corresponding to molecules in the atmosphere. Among the first set of data released from James Webb Space Telescope was a spectrum of WASP-96b, with very clear wiggles and bumps showing the presence of water vapour in the hot giant’s atmosphere. That detection, according to Julien de Wit of MIT, leader of the Nature Astronomy investigation, isn’t in question. “There’s no problem related to that first level of interpretation,” he explains. It’s the second level, for example, how much water is where things get complicated. The complication in the interpretation by astronomers cannot be blamed on James Webb Space Telescope. The problem is that the spectra it has captured has far more detail than has ever been had before. The blame is on the theory that the data are compared against. The theory for that comparison needs to be updated and improved. The researchers, Prajwal Niraula MIT, de Wit, and colleagues are sure that the models used by astronomers to decode such spectra lack the precision required. It found that one group of astronomers using the models can state that an exoplanet’s atmosphere is 5% water; while another group using the same model can predict that the same atmosphere has 25% water. And it would be hard to say which of the two is right. That imprecision unfortunately will extend to rocky exoplanets. Those hot worlds nearly the size of our earth that will be targeted during James Webb Space Telescope’s first year of observations. “We do expect the limitations we've highlighted to also affect our study of rocky exoplanets,” confirms Niraula.
