For the first time ever, a dust storm has been observed outside of our Solar System — and naturally, it was the powerful James Webb Space Telescope that made the discovery.
A press release on the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Webb-site details the JWST-detected storm, which took place on exoplanet VHS 1,256 b, a “massive brown dwarf” planet located about 40 lightyears from Earth.
“Ever had hot sand whip across your face?” the press release quips. “That’s a soothing experience compared to the volatile conditions discovered high in the atmosphere of planet VHS 1,256 b.”
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