Since its launch, the James Webb Space Telescope has been reshaping our understanding of the universe, and now it’s making waves in one of the most exciting areas of science—finding life beyond Earth. Unlike any space observatory before it, Webb can analyze the atmospheres of distant exoplanets with incredible precision, detecting gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and even potential biosignatures. This means that scientists now have a tool powerful enough to scan for the building blocks of life on planets orbiting stars dozens or even hundreds of light-years away. In just its first year of operations, the telescope has already returned data suggesting that some rocky planets in the habitable zone might have the right conditions to support life, and that’s just the beginning. What sets James Webb apart is its ability to observe in the infrared spectrum, allowing it to peer through clouds of dust and gas that obscure other telescopes. This gives researchers a clearer look at newly for...
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