JWST maps WASP-17b's atmosphere and reveals its uneven shape

The James Webb Space Telescope has for the first time applied the transmission strings method to map the atmospheric limb of the hot Jupiter WASP-17b, about 1,300 light-years from Earth. The planet's atmosphere bulges on the evening side of the equator, where winds carry heat from the permanently lit day side to the night side. The results match theoretical predictions.

• WASP-17b is a hot Jupiter about 1,300 light-years from Earth
• Transmission strings method applied to an exoplanet for the first time
• Atmosphere bulges on the evening side of the equator due to winds
• Data agrees with predicted day-night temperature contrast