By spotting these strong carbon dioxide features, we have shown there is a sizable fraction of heavier elements, like carbon, oxygen, and iron, in these planets’ atmospheres,” said William Balmer, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Webb’s latest discovery has opened a thrilling new chapter in exoplanet research by capturing the first-ever direct images of carbon dioxide in a distant planet’s atmosphere. This breakthrough not only confirms that the massive planets of HR 8799 likely formed through core accretion,