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Friday, October 16, 2026 · UTC
The Sky & Telescopes

JWST finds exoplanet WASP-17b atmosphere is not a perfect sphere

A study published 14 October 2026 documents the first observed irregular atmospheric contours on the distant world.

Arjun Nair
Astronomy Editor
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Astronomers reveal exoplanet's irregular atmosphere
Astronomers reveal exoplanet's irregular atmosphere AI illustrationhow this picture was made
BRISTOL, United Kingdom, Oct. 14, 2026 - Astronomers have confirmed the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-17b is a deformed asymmetric sphere, rather than the perfect circle assumed in prior models.[1] The international study was co-led by Cornell University and the University of Bristol, published Wednesday in Nature Astronomy. Researchers used James Webb Space Telescope data to measure the shape of the planet's atmospheric limb at angles across both poles.[2][3] Measurements show the atmosphere remains broadly rounded, but is distinctly elongated on one side. This is the first time irregular atmospheric contours have been observed for this world.[4] Space Nugget. For almost all exoplanet transit calculations, astronomers default to modelling the visible edge of a planet's atmosphere as a uniform perfect circle.
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  1. A study co-led by Cornell University in the U.S. and the University of Bristol in the U.K. published in Nature Astronomy reveals that the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-17b is a deformed sphere rather than a perfect circle. · Phys.org
  2. The research utilized data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to measure the shape of the transmitting limb as a function of angle across the poles of the planet. · Phys.org
  3. An international team of astronomers led by researchers from the University of Bristol and Cornell University observed the irregular contours of the exoplanet WASP-17b for the first time using data from the James Webb Space Telescope. · EL NACIONAL
  4. The study, published on Wednesday in Nature Astronomy, reveals that the atmosphere of WASP-17b is circular but asymmetric, with one side more elongated than the other. · EL NACIONAL
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