A team of international astronomers together with Jasmina Blecic from the Center for Astrophysics and Space Science NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), has produced the first three-dimensional map of a planet orbiting another star. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals a dynamic atmosphere with distinct temperature regions, one so hot that it breaks down water molecules.
The planet, known as WASP-18b, is an “ultra-hot Jupiter” located about 400 light years from Earth. “Rotating around its star nearly 20 times closer than Mercury to our Sun and completing its orbit in less than a day, this planet reaches temperatures around 3,500°C, making it one of the exoplanets with the most extreme atmospheric conditions we have studied to date,” said NYUAD Research Scientist Jasmina Blecic.
Using a new technique called 3D eclipse mapping, scientists analyzed data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to create a detailed temperature map of the planet’s atmosphere. The technique measures subtle changes in light as the planet passes behind its star, allowing researchers to identify brightness variations linked to different parts of the atmosphere. By analyzing these variations in multiple wavelengths, the team reconstructed a 3D map showing temperature differences by latitude, longitude, and altitude.
The findings reveal a circular “hotspot” on the side of the planet that permanently faces its star, surrounded by a cooler ring at the edges. In the hottest region, the team detected signs that water vapor is breaking apart, a process previously predicted but now confirmed through direct observation.
“We can now begin to view exoplanet atmospheres in 3D, much like how telescopes once revealed Jupiter’s storms and cloud bands,” said Ryan Challener, a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University and the paper’s lead author.
The study builds on earlier 2D mapping efforts by the same collaboration, which first demonstrated the potential of eclipse mapping with JWST observations. The new 3D technique will enable scientists to study many more of the thousands of known exoplanets in unprecedented detail.
Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the world’s top 31 universities, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. Alumni achievements include 24 Rhodes Scholars, underscoring the caliber of talent nurtured at the University. On the faculty and research front, NYUAD now has four Nobel Laureates and established more than 90 faculty labs and projects, producing over 9,500 internationally recognized publications. According to the Nature Index, NYUAD ranks number one in the UAE for publications in the world’s top science journals.
