The James Webb Space Telescope captured the first direct image of a planet outside the solar system, according to what the US space agency NASA announced, and the image taken is of a gas giant planet that is not habitable according to the concept of humans.
NASA quoted Sasha Hinckley, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Exeter, as saying that James Webb's achievement "marks a turning point not only for him but for astronomy in general
The planet, named HIP 65426 b, is six to 12 times larger than Jupiter, an estimate that the telescope should confirm.
NASA stated that the planet, which dates back between 15 and 20 years, is small compared to the planets, specifically Earth, which dates back to 4.5 billion years.
This is not the first time that a direct image of a planet outside the solar system has been taken, as the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched in 1990 and is still in operation, has previously accomplished this task, according to the French.
NASA explained that this image "would clarify the path that James Webb should follow in the process of planetary exploration."
She added that James Webb's ability to capture the image "indicates the existence of future possibilities for studies of distant worlds." The image was published in four copies, each with a different optical filter. The planet was easily distinguished from its star thanks to the great distance separating them.
"Getting this image was like searching for a treasure in space," said Erin Carter, a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz who analyzed the footage.