3 ms·

Interesting choice for the first Webb exoplanet at 41 light years distance. There are 11 stars within 10 light years of us. Does their choice mean that none of

Interesting choice for the first Webb exoplanet at 41 light years distance. There are 11 stars within 10 light years of us. Does their choice mean that none of the closer stars have systems that are edge-on to us?

stronglikedan 4y ago
Perhaps the closer stars are too bright to analyze what's near them?
- Rebelgecko 4y ago
  Do the sun/earth also limit where the Webb can point? It might have to wait until the earth goes around the sun more to look some directions
  - kibwen 4y ago
    https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.html#whatlookat https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.h... "What can Webb look at?" "Anything more than 85° from the Sun as viewed from L2, which includes Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, their satellites, the asteroid belt, and all outer Solar System objects. JWST also can't look farther from the Sun than 135° (i.e. within 45° of the anti-sun position) but outer solar system objects will all be observable some of the time. The field of regard limitations are a fundamental consequence of the observatory thermal design and the sunshield design that keeps the telescope and instruments cold. This means that the Sun, Earth, Moon, Mercury, and Venus, and of course sun-grazing comets and many known NEOs cannot be observed."
twawaaay 4y ago
You not only need a system that has exoplanet transiting its star, you also need to have it happen at right time (it happens at most once per exopelanet's orbit) and also at right time for Webb to look at (remember, it is severely restricted in where it can point).
- chrononaut 4y ago
  Due to something about its instruments, or just due to being a limited resource? Edit: Answer provided in adjacent thread -- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34360391 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34360391
biscottigelato 4y ago
Potentially, wouldn't star systems have planets where their orbital planes are at positions that we cannot observe transit event from? In fact, most planets?

stronglikedan 4y ago

Perhaps the closer stars are too bright to analyze what's near them?

Rebelgecko 4y ago
Do the sun/earth also limit where the Webb can point? It might have to wait until the earth goes around the sun more to look some directions
- kibwen 4y ago
  https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.html#whatlookat https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.h... "What can Webb look at?" "Anything more than 85° from the Sun as viewed from L2, which includes Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, their satellites, the asteroid belt, and all outer Solar System objects. JWST also can't look farther from the Sun than 135° (i.e. within 45° of the anti-sun position) but outer solar system objects will all be observable some of the time. The field of regard limitations are a fundamental consequence of the observatory thermal design and the sunshield design that keeps the telescope and instruments cold. This means that the Sun, Earth, Moon, Mercury, and Venus, and of course sun-grazing comets and many known NEOs cannot be observed."

twawaaay 4y ago

You not only need a system that has exoplanet transiting its star, you also need to have it happen at right time (it happens at most once per exopelanet's orbit) and also at right time for Webb to look at (remember, it is severely restricted in where it can point).

chrononaut 4y ago
Due to something about its instruments, or just due to being a limited resource? Edit: Answer provided in adjacent thread -- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34360391 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34360391

biscottigelato 4y ago

Potentially, wouldn't star systems have planets where their orbital planes are at positions that we cannot observe transit event from? In fact, most planets?