Researchers Map Deformed Shape of Exoplanet WASP-17b's Atmosphere

An international team, co-led by Cornell and Bristol universities, has used James Webb Space Telescope data and a new "transmission strings" method to map the uneven atmospheric contours of the exoplanet WASP-17b. This marks the first time an exoplanet's true, lopsided atmospheric shape has been resolved, moving beyond idealized circular models. The discovery, published in Nature Astronomy, advances exoplanet atmospheric studies by revealing the effects of extreme winds and temperatures.