James Webb Maps Fiery Past of WASP-121b, a Planet Where Water Boils and Skies Burn
In a stunning leap for exoplanet science, the James Webb Space Telescope has painted the most detailed picture yet of the brutally hot planet WASP-121b — and its wild cosmic ride from deep space to an orbit so tight, it’s practically kissing its star. Scientists now believe the planet was born cold and far out, then slowly spiraled inward, cooking itself alive in the process. A Planet That Shouldn’t Exist…