TWA 7b
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Very Large Telescope (VLT) |
| Discovery date | 2024 |
| Direct imaging | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| ≈52 AU (estimated) | |
| Eccentricity | Unknown |
| Unknown | |
| Star | TWA 7 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | ≈0.3 Jupiter masses |
| Temperature | Unknown |
TWA 7 b is a directly imaged exoplanet candidate orbiting the M-type star TWA 7, located in the constellation Hydra[1][2][3]. The planetary system is situated within a young stellar association, and the exoplanet resides within a well-defined debris disk structure[1][4][5][6]. If TWA 7 b is conformed it to be distinguished as the first exoplanet directly detected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), utilizing the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) in 2024.
Characteristics
TWA 7 b is estimated to possess a mass approximately 0.3 times that of Jupiter, categorizing it as a Saturn-mass exoplanet[1][2][7]. It is located within the inner gap of a multi-ringed debris disk, and its gravitational influence is considered a likely factor in shaping the disk structure. The exoplanet orbits at an approximate distance of 52 Astronomical unit[7] from its host star, although its orbital eccentricity and period remain undetermined.
Discovery
The presence of TWA 7 b is being confirmed through a combination of observations from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the James Webb Space Telescope[1][7]. The planet was identified as an candidate using high-contrast coronagraphic imaging with JWST's MIRI instrument[1][7]. The detection was supported by earlier submillimeter data and disk structure models predicting the presence of a planetary companion[4][5][5][7].
Host Star
TWA 7 is a young M-type red dwarf star[1][2][3], estimated to be approximately five million years old. It is a member of the TW Hydrae association, a nearby stellar group known for its youth and active planetary formation. The star exhibits a complex debris disk system just like our own Solar System[4][5][6][7].
Significance
TWA 7 b represents the lowest mass exoplanet if confirmed through direct imaging to date and is the first such object discovered by JWST[1][2][7]. Its detection provides valuable insight into the early stages of planetary formation and the interaction between young planets and circumstellar debris disks.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Likely Saturn-Mass Planet Imaged by NASA Webb Is Lightest Ever Seen - NASA Science". 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Webb finds evidence of a lightweight planet around TWA 7". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 [email protected] (2025-06-26). "Webb's discovery of exoplanet TWA 7 b". BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Choquet, Élodie; Perrin, Marshall D.; Chen, Christine H.; Soummer, Rémi; Pueyo, Laurent; Hagan, James B.; Gofas-Salas, Elena; Rajan, Abhijith; Golimowski, David A.; Hines, Dean C.; Schneider, Glenn; Mazoyer, Johan; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Debes, John; Stark, Christopher C.; Wolff, Schuyler; n'Diaye, Mamadou; Hsiao, Kevin (2016). "First Images of Debris Disks Around Twa 7, Twa 25, Hd 35650, and Hd 377". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 817 (1): L2. arXiv:1512.02220. Bibcode:2016ApJ...817L...2C. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/817/1/l2.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Ren 任, Bin 彬; Choquet, Élodie; Perrin, Marshall D.; Mawet, Dimitri; Chen, Christine H.; Milli, Julien; Debes, John H.; Rebollido, Isabel; Stark, Christopher C.; Hagan, J. Brendan; Hines, Dean C.; Millar-Blanchaer, Maxwell A.; Pueyo, Laurent; Roberge, Aki; Schneider, Glenn (2021-06-01). "A Layered Debris Disk around M Star TWA 7 in Scattered Light". The Astrophysical Journal. 914 (2): 95. arXiv:2105.09949. Bibcode:2021ApJ...914...95R. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac03b9. ISSN 0004-637X.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Olofsson, J.; Holstein, R. G. van; Boccaletti, A.; Janson, M.; Thébault, P.; Gratton, R.; Lazzoni, C.; Kral, Q.; Bayo, A. (2018-04-05), "Resolving faint structures in the debris disk around TWA 7", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 617: A109, arXiv:1804.01929, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201832583, retrieved 2025-06-28
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Lagrange, A.-M.; Wilkinson, C.; Mâlin, M.; Boccaletti, A.; Perrot, C.; Matrà, L.; Combes, F.; Beust, H.; Rouan, D.; Chomez, A.; Milli, J.; Charnay, B.; Mazevet, S.; Flasseur, O.; Olofsson, J. (2025-06-25). "Evidence for a sub-Jovian planet in the young TWA 7 disk". Nature: 1–4. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09150-4. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 40562924 Check
|pmid=value (help).
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