Scientists find 'gemstones' in atmosphere of bizarre, scorching-hot 'marshmallow' exoplanet
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered that the exoplanet WASP-17b has a unique, 'marshmallow-like' atmosphere containing gemstone-like particles. The study utilized a new technique called transmission strings to map the planet's complex atmospheric structure.
Why it matters
This discovery advances our understanding of exoplanetary atmospheres and demonstrates the power of modern space observation technology.
Exoplanets Scientists find 'gemstones' in atmosphere of bizarre, scorching-hot 'marshmallow' exoplanet News By Robert Lea Published 16 October 2026 "Planets are temperamental, their atmospheres complex and chaotic."
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Click for next article An illustration of the blisteringly hot exoplanets Wasp 17b (Image credit: Robert Lea) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have unraveled some of the atmospheric secrets of a bizarre, blisteringly hot world that has the consistency of marshmallow.
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