The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a hidden third planet in the Beta Pictoris star system. Astronomers were studying Beta Pictoris, a young star about 63 light-years away, which is known to be a good place to learn about how solar systems form. They were looking at a known giant planet called Beta Pictoris b when they found something unexpected.
A researcher named Aidan Gibbs said they were not looking for a new planet but found a signal they did not expect. This signal led to the discovery of a new world, named Beta Pictoris d. This discovery changes how scientists look for planets. Instead of just looking at their light, they studied the planet's chemistry.
Using a special instrument, scientists saw a pattern that showed the planet's atmosphere. Jean-Baptiste Ruffio explained that this method gives a lot of information, like the planet's temperature and what it is made of. Further study confirmed water vapor and methane in the atmosphere. This is the first time a planet was found mainly by analyzing its chemistry.
Beta Pictoris d is a large planet, about two to four times the mass of Jupiter. It is very hot, with temperatures around 325 degrees Celsius. It takes 91 years to orbit its star. The planet was hidden because it is faint and orbits within a dusty ring that makes it hard to see. It is about 100 times dimmer than Beta Pictoris b. It had been seen in old photos before, but scientists did not realize it was a planet until now. This discovery adds to our understanding of how planets form and change.