James Webb Space Telescope conducted a direct study of the rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b

James Webb Space Telescope conducted a direct study of the rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b

¨    James Webb Space Telescope conducted a direct study of the rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b on 4 May 2026.

¨     LHS 3844 b is classified as a super-Earth exoplanet.

¨     It is located around 49 to 50 light-years away from Earth.

¨     The planet is about 30 percent larger than Earth.

¨   James Webb Space Telescope was developed by NASA, European Space Agency, and Canadian Space Agency.

¨     The telescope operates in the infrared spectrum and carries instruments such as the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).

¨     MIRI is used to study heat signatures and molecular signals from distant celestial objects.

¨     LHS 3844 b is a tidally locked exoplanet.

¨     One side of the planet permanently faces its host star.

¨    The star-facing side reaches temperatures of nearly 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit or around 725 degrees Celsius.

¨     Observations made by MIRI during 2023 and 2024 showed that the planet is dark, extremely hot, barren, and lacks an atmosphere.

¨     Scientists studied the planet’s geology by analysing heat emitted from its surface.

¨  The surface appears to consist of basaltic or igneous mantle rock similar to Mercury or the Moon.

¨     No evidence of Earth-like silica-rich or granite-rich crust was detected.

¨     The study relates to the field of exoplanet geology, which examines the physical and geological properties of planets beyond the Solar System.