Star Talks: New Worlds, New Clues: Exploring Alien Atmospheres with JWST

Just a few years ago, our tools for exploring planets beyond our solar system—exoplanets—were limited in what they could show us about the skies of these distant worlds. But today, thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we can now observe the atmospheres of exoplanets in extraordinary detail, across a wide range of infrared wavelengths. This leap in capability is helping us understand not just what exoplanet atmospheres are made of, but also how they evolve and what stories they tell about the planets they surround.

Dr. Luis Welbanks is an astrophysicist and Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, where he leads the Exoteric Lab, a research group dedicated to understanding the chemical composition and formation of exoplanets. His recent work has been featured in Nature, CNN, The New York Times, NASA press releases, and other major science outlets.

Star Talks are held in partnership with ​Prescott Astronomy Club.