The James Webb Space Telescope just captured a direct image of an icy exoplanet.

By Aniket Chakraborty

July 7, 2025

Arrow

SPACE

Arrow

14 Herculis c orbits a Sun-like star 60 light-years away—and it’s colder than expected.

2

Arrow

Spotted as a faint orange dot, it was imaged using JWST’s NIRCam infrared instrument.

3

Arrow

Its strange orbit hints at a violent past—possibly ejecting another planet from its system.

4

Arrow

Using a coronagraph, JWST blocks starlight to reveal dim, distant planets in deep space.

5

Arrow

This planet’s orbit is steeply inclined, suggesting extreme gravitational interactions.

6

Arrow

At just 27°F, its atmosphere may contain carbon monoxide and dioxide, defying early models.

7

Arrow

Such infrared signatures help decode climate chemistry and potential habitability.

8

Arrow

14 Herculis c is now among the coldest directly imaged planets in the cosmos.

9

JWST’s discovery reshapes how we study ancient, alien worlds—planet by planet.

10