JWST Data Hints at Soot-Filled Atmospheres on Sub-Neptune Exoplanets

New analysis of data from the James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes suggests that some sub-Neptune exoplanets may have atmospheres rich in soot-like particles. This research challenges earlier ideas about the atmospheric makeup of these distant worlds, proposing their upper atmospheres act as "soot factories" producing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.