Astrophysicists have long theorized that there should be planets out there that are, in size, somewhere between Earth and Neptune that would have heavy elements similar to Earth. These planets should be vaporous, appearing to have an atmosphere of steam.

Well, thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), that is no longer a theory.

The telescope was used to identify planet GJ 9827, which is twice the size of Earth and comprised largely of hot water vapor. The research on this find was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

In a press release about this exciting find, co-author Ryan MacDonald, who is a NASA Sagan Fellow and University of Michigan astrophysicist said:

“Now we’re finally pushing down into what these mysterious worlds with sizes between Earth and Neptune, for which we don’t have an example in our own solar system, are actually made of. This is a crucial proving step towards detecting atmospheres on habitable exoplanets in the years to come.”

The atmosphere of the planet is made up of heavier molecules, which is in contrast to what is found on most other planets where the atmospheres are made primarily of hydrogen and helium.

This planet would not be able to support any life as we currently know it, but it has started to answer a lot of questions in a very significant way. The lead author of the study, Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb explained in the statement:

“GJ 9827 d is the first planet where we detect an atmosphere rich in heavy molecules like the terrestrial planets of the solar system. This is a huge step.”

This is just the latest discovery from the JWST that helps scientists to find planets and other objects in the universe that add to our growing body of information. They can then take this information and use it to improve our understanding of the universe around us.

A planet-sized steam room? Amazing!

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