Scientists spot shifting clouds on an alien world for the first time

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope watched water clouds thicken and thin on the brown dwarf WISE 0855, 7.5 light-years away, over 11 hours of observations. Spectra were captured every 15 minutes; the results have been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal.

• WISE 0855 lies 7.5 light-years from Earth and orbits no star
• Observations lasted 11 hours with a spectrum every 15 minutes
• A rhythmic pulse was seen in carbon monoxide and phosphine
• The object is about 17°F, colder than any known brown dwarf