Archive · 27 Dec 2025
James Webb Telescope Discovers Lemon-Shaped Exoplanet
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have found a very unusual planet called PSR J2322-2650b.
This planet is about the size of Jupiter but is stretched into a lemon shape because it is very close to a special kind of star called a pulsar.
The planet orbits this star very quickly, completing a full orbit in just 7.8 hours.
The planet's atmosphere is also very different from what scientists expected.
It has a lot of helium and carbon but very little oxygen or nitrogen.
This means there is no water, methane, or carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.
Instead, there might be soot clouds and even diamonds deep inside the planet.
This discovery is important because it shows that planets can be much more diverse than we thought, and it challenges our current understanding of how planets form.
The James Webb Space Telescope discovered a lemon-shaped exoplanet named PSR J2322-2650b.
The exoplanet orbits a pulsar, completing a full orbit in just 7.8 hours.
The planet's atmosphere is dominated by helium and carbon, with little to no oxygen or nitrogen.
The unusual atmospheric composition suggests the presence of soot clouds and possible diamond formation.
This discovery challenges current planetary formation theories and highlights the diversity of planetary systems.
- Who
- Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope
- What
- Discovery of a lemon-shaped exoplanet with an unusual atmosphere
- When
- The findings were published on Tuesday
- Where
- PSR J2322-2650b is located 750 light-years from Earth
- Why
- The exoplanet's unique characteristics challenge current planetary formation theories
- Exoplanet Name
- PSR J2322-2650b
- Distance from Earth
- 750 light-years
- Orbital Period
- 7.8 hours
- Distance from Pulsar
- 1 million miles
- Atmospheric Composition
- Helium, carbon, soot clouds, possible diamonds
- Observation Tool
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Publication
- The Astrophysical Journal Letters