First exoplanet picture from James Webb Space Telescope revealed

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly captured an image of an exoplanet from space. Plus: There are thousands more UK deaths than usual and we don’t know why.

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Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly captured an image of an exoplanet from space. Plus: There are thousands more UK deaths than usual and we don’t know why.

NASA/ESA/CSA, A Carter (UCSC), ERS 1386 team, A. Pagan (STScI)

Exoplanet picture

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured its first images of an alien world – and because the telescope is performing 10 times better than expected, we are likely to see many more in future. Astronomers have taken direct images of just 20 exoplanets, all from Earth-based telescopes. But because our planet’s atmosphere blocks out a large part of the infrared range, it has been difficult to detect features of these planets in any great detail. Now, Sasha Hinkley at the University of Exeter, UK, and his colleagues have used JWST to directly image a so-called super-Jupiter exoplanet, HIP 65426 b, which is around seven Jupiter masses and orbits a star around 400 light years from Earth. Read more

Excess UK deaths

The UK has seen an unexplained surge in deaths in recent months, causing concern among the country’s chief medical officers. Many suggestions have been put forward for why there have been about 22,500 more deaths between April and August than would normally be expected, but there is little agreement so far on the cause or causes. “The data suggest that it is very likely that something substantial is happening,” says Michael Murphy at the London School of Economics. Researchers are scrambling to figure out what is going on, with National Health Service problems, an ageing population, heatwaves and a resurgence of covid-19 being mooted as possible causes. Read more

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Intriguing tales about plants’ role in crime

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Forensic botany is still in its infancy, as David J. Gibson makes clear in Planting Clues. The pioneer Edmond Locard, who established his forensic science lab in 1912, was ahead of his time when he set out to scrutinise plant fragments. Over the next century, others have added to this rapidly developing science. Planting Clues contains many tales where forensic botany is a key witness in cases of murder or rape. They can make for uncomfortable reading. Read more

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First exoplanet picture from James Webb Space Telescope revealed

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly captured an image of an exoplanet from space. Plus: There are thousands more UK deaths than usual and we don’t know why.

Exoplanet picture

Excess UK deaths

more headlines

Intriguing tales about plants’ role in crime

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