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Exoplanet GJ 486 b (Transmission Spectrum)

Graphic titled “Exoplanet GJ 486 b Transmission Spectrum.” The label at top right reads NIRSpec, Bright Object Time Series Spectroscopy. Spectrum is plotted on a graph with y- and x-axes. The graph shows two jagged lines with gradated shading on either side. The top line and shading are yellow while the bottom line and shading are blue. As you move right along the graph, the two lines converge and become overlapping around 3 microns. Dozens of data points scattered above and below the lines extend from just under 3 microns to more than 5 microns. An inset shows a legend with a yellow line labeled “starspots model,” a blue line labeled “water-rich atmosphere model,” and a white dot with gray, vertical error bar labeled “Webb data.”

This graphic shows the transmission spectrum obtained by Webb observations of rocky exoplanet GJ 486 b. The science team’s analysis shows hints of water vapor; however, computer models show that the signal could be from a water-rich planetary atmosphere (indicated by the blue line) or from starspots from the red dwarf host star (indicated by the yellow line). The two models diverge noticeably at shorter infrared wavelengths, indicating that additional observations with other Webb instruments will be needed to constrain the source of the water signal.

The background illustration of a planet is an artist concept. Webb has not taken an image of the planet.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    12:47:57.0
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +09:45:05
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Virgo
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    26 light-years
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    GJ 486 b
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Exoplanet
  • Release Date
    May 1, 2023
  • Science Release
    Webb Finds Water Vapor, But From a Rocky Planet or Its Star?
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI); Science: Sarah Moran (University of Arizona), Kevin Stevenson (APL), Ryan MacDonald (University of Michigan), Jacob Lustig-Yaeger (APL)

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Related Images & Videos

Occupying the left two-thirds of the image is a foreground planet mostly in shadow. On the right side, a tan crescent shows subtle surface features. A thin, tenuous blue atmosphere lines the planet’s limb. On the right, a small red globe represents a red dwarf star. Its surface is mottled with small, dark spots resembling sunspots. Both planet and star are on a mostly black background speckled with hundreds of faint, distant stars.

Exoplanet GJ 486 b (Artist Concept)

This artist concept represents the rocky exoplanet GJ 486 b, which orbits a red dwarf star that is only 26 light-years away in the constellation Virgo. By observing GJ 486 b transit in front of its star, astronomers sought signs of an atmosphere. They detected hints of water...

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Details

Last Updated
Nov 17, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Illustration Credit

NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

Science Credit

Sarah Moran (University of Arizona), Kevin Stevenson (APL), Ryan MacDonald (University of Michigan), Jacob Lustig-Yaeger (APL)

Related Terms

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