https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-observes-exoplanet-whose-composition-defies-explanation/ NASA Logo * Explore Search[ ] NASA Logo * News & Events News & Events + Recently Published + Video Series on NASA+ + Podcasts & Audio + Blogs + Newsletters + Social Media + Media Resources * Multimedia Multimedia + Images + Videos on NASA+ + Interactives + NASA Apps + Podcasts + e-Books + STEM Multimedia * NASA+ Search[ ] Suggested Searches * Climate Change * Artemis * Expedition 64 * Mars perseverance * SpaceX Crew-2 * International Space Station * View All Topics A-Z * Home * Missions * Humans in Space * Earth * The Solar System * The Universe * Science * Aeronautics * Technology * Learning Resources * About NASA * Espanol ----------------------------------------------------------------- * News & Events * Multimedia * NASA+ Highlights Hubble Glimpses Galactic Gas Making a Getaway 2 min read Hubble Glimpses Galactic Gas Making a Getaway article3 days ago NASA's Fermi Spots Young Star Cluster Blowing Gamma-Ray Bubbles 4 min read NASA's Fermi Spots Young Star Cluster Blowing Gamma-Ray Bubbles article4 days ago NASA Announces 2025 International Space Apps Challenge Global Winners 6 min read NASA Announces 2025 International Space Apps Challenge Global Winners article4 days ago Back --------------------------------------------------------------------- Missions * Search All NASA Missions * A to Z List of Missions * Upcoming Launches and Landings * Spaceships and Rockets * Communicating with Missions * Artemis * James Webb Space Telescope * Hubble Space Telescope * International Space Station * OSIRIS-REx Humans in Space * Why Go to Space * Astronauts * Commercial Space * Destinations * Spaceships and Rockets * Living in Space Earth * Explore Earth Science * Climate Change * Earth, Our Planet * Earth Science in Action * Earth Multimedia * Earth Data * Earth Science Researchers The Solar System * The Sun * Mercury * Venus * Earth * The Moon * Mars * Jupiter * Saturn * Uranus * Neptune * Pluto & Dwarf Planets * Asteroids, Comets & Meteors * The Kuiper Belt * The Oort Cloud * Skywatching The Universe * Exoplanets * The Search for Life in the Universe * Stars * Galaxies * Black Holes * The Big Bang * Dark Matter * Dark Energy Science * Earth Science * Planetary Science * Astrophysics & Space Science * The Sun & Heliophysics * Biological & Physical Sciences * Lunar Science * Citizen Science * Astromaterials * Aeronautics Research * Human Space Travel Research Aeronautics * Science in the Air * NASA Aircraft * Flight Innovation * Supersonic Flight * Air Traffic Solutions * Green Aviation Tech * Drones & You Technology * Technology Transfer & Spinoffs * Space Travel Technology * Technology Living in Space * Manufacturing and Materials * Robotics * Science Instruments * Computing Learning Resources * For Kids and Students * For Educators * For Colleges and Universities * For Professionals * Science for Everyone * Requests for Exhibits, Artifacts, or Speakers * STEM Engagement at NASA About NASA * NASA's Impacts * Centers and Facilities * Directorates * Organizations * People of NASA * Careers * Internships * Our History * Doing Business with NASA * Get Involved * Contact NASA en Espanol * Ciencia * Aeronautica * Ciencias Terrestres * Sistema Solar * Universo News & Events * Recently Published * Video Series on NASA+ * Podcasts & Audio * Blogs * Newsletters * Social Media * Media Resources Multimedia * Images * Videos on NASA+ * Interactives * NASA Apps * Podcasts * e-Books * STEM Multimedia Highlights NASA's Hubble Sees Asteroids Colliding at Nearby Star for First Time 5 min read NASA's Hubble Sees Asteroids Colliding at Nearby Star for First Time article 4 days ago NASA's SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other 6 min read NASA's SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other article 4 days ago NASA's Fermi Spots Young Star Cluster Blowing Gamma-Ray Bubbles 4 min read NASA's Fermi Spots Young Star Cluster Blowing Gamma-Ray Bubbles article 4 days ago Highlights NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 1 min read NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 article 2 hours ago NASA Johnson's 2025 Milestones 11 min read NASA Johnson's 2025 Milestones article 3 days ago NASA's Wideband Technology Demo Proves Space Missions are Free to Roam 4 min read NASA's Wideband Technology Demo Proves Space Missions are Free to Roam article 3 days ago Highlights Dr. John Sullivan 1 min read Dr. John Sullivan article 4 days ago Mihailo Derek Rutovic 2 min read Mihailo Derek Rutovic article 4 days ago Dr. K. Emma Knowland 2 min read Dr. K. Emma Knowland article 4 days ago Highlights Betelgeuse and the Crab Nebula: Stellar Death and Rebirth 3 min read Betelgeuse and the Crab Nebula: Stellar Death and Rebirth article 3 days ago NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Ready to Roll for Miles in Years Ahead 6 min read NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Ready to Roll for Miles in Years Ahead article 5 days ago NASA Study Suggests Saturn's Moon Titan May Not Have Global Ocean 6 min read NASA Study Suggests Saturn's Moon Titan May Not Have Global Ocean article 5 days ago Highlights Troubleshooting 6 min read Troubleshooting article 3 days ago Results 2 min read Results article 3 days ago Team 14 min read Team article 3 days ago Highlights Sentinels in the Sky: 50 Years of GOES Satellite Observations 15 min read Sentinels in the Sky: 50 Years of GOES Satellite Observations article 1 hour ago Keeping Up with PACE: Summary of the 2025 PAC3 Meeting 12 min read Keeping Up with PACE: Summary of the 2025 PAC3 Meeting article 2 hours ago Sentinel-6B Extends Global Ocean Height Record 7 min read Sentinel-6B Extends Global Ocean Height Record article 3 hours ago Highlights NASA Armstrong Advances Flight Research and Innovation in 2025 12 min read NASA Armstrong Advances Flight Research and Innovation in 2025 article 6 hours ago NASA, Boeing Test How to Improve Performance of Longer, Narrower Aircraft Wings 5 min read NASA, Boeing Test How to Improve Performance of Longer, Narrower Aircraft Wings article 4 days ago 2025 in Review: Highlights from NASA in Silicon Valley 9 min read 2025 in Review: Highlights from NASA in Silicon Valley article 4 days ago Highlights NASA's Wideband Technology Demo Proves Space Missions are Free to Roam 4 min read NASA's Wideband Technology Demo Proves Space Missions are Free to Roam article 3 days ago NASA's Push Toward Commercial Space Communications Gains Momentum 6 min read NASA's Push Toward Commercial Space Communications Gains Momentum article 5 days ago NASA Study Suggests Saturn's Moon Titan May Not Have Global Ocean 6 min read NASA Study Suggests Saturn's Moon Titan May Not Have Global Ocean article 5 days ago Highlights Join the Artemis Mission to the Moon 1 min read Join the Artemis Mission to the Moon article 1 month ago Highlights NASA Announces 2025 International Space Apps Challenge Global Winners 6 min read NASA Announces 2025 International Space Apps Challenge Global Winners article 4 days ago NASA's Webb, Curiosity Named in TIME's Best Inventions Hall of Fame 3 min read NASA's Webb, Curiosity Named in TIME's Best Inventions Hall of Fame article 1 week ago The International Space Station Marks 25 Years of Continuous Human Presence 6 min read The International Space Station Marks 25 Years of Continuous Human Presence article 3 weeks ago Highlights TRAPPIST-1 e -- Guided Tour-es 1 min read TRAPPIST-1 e -- Guided Tour-es article 7 days ago Kepler-186 f -- Guided Tour-es 1 min read Kepler-186 f -- Guided Tour-es article 7 days ago kepler-16 b-guided-tour-es 1 min read kepler-16 b-guided-tour-es article 7 days ago Explore Webb 1. Science 2. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) 3. NASA's Webb Observes... * Webb * News + Latest News + Latest Images + Webb's Blog + Awards + X (offsite - login reqd) + Instagram (offsite - login reqd) + Facebook (offsite- login reqd) + Youtube (offsite) * Overview + About + Who is James Webb? + Fact Sheet + Impacts+Benefits + FAQ + Webb Timeline * Science + Overview and Goals + Early Universe + Galaxies Over Time + Star Lifecycle + Other Worlds + Science/Engineering Explainers * Observatory + Overview + Launch + Deployment + Orbit + Mirrors + Sunshield + Instruments & ISIM Module + Instrument: NIRCam + Instrument: MIRI + Instrument: NIRSpec + Instrument: FGS/NIRISS + Optical Telescope Element + Backplane + Spacecraft Bus * Multimedia + About Webb Images + Images + Videos + What is Webb Observing? + 3d Webb in 3d Solar System + Podcasts + Webb Image Sonifications + Webb's First Images * Team + International Team + People Of Webb * More + For the Media + For Scientists + For Educators + For Fun/Learning 6 Min Read NASA's Webb Observes Exoplanet Whose Composition Defies Explanation llustration labeled "artist's concept" at right bottom corner. At left bottom corner, a partially illuminated, lemon-shaped exoplanet appears against a black background. This planet is most brightly illuminated at its elongated tip on its right side. On the left side, which is wider, the planet trails off into the darkness of the background. The planet is colored in varying, mottled shades of red, light pink, and fuchsia. Most of the pink occurs closest to the tip, while most of the fuchsia is at the top and bottom edges. At right top corner, a white beam emanates diagonally, oriented from 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock, from either side of a small, glowing, white star. This artist's concept shows what the exoplanet called PSR J2322-2650b (left) may look like as it orbits a rapidly spinning neutron star called a pulsar (right). Credits: Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) The headshot image of NASA Webb Mission Team NASA Webb Mission Team Goddard Space Flight Center Dec 16, 2025 Article * * * * Contents * Image A: Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b and Pulsar (Artist's Concept) * Image B: Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b (Artist's Concept) * Video A: Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b and Pulsar (Artist's Concept) * Downloads & Related Information * Related Links * Related for Kids Scientists using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have observed a rare type of exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, whose atmospheric composition challenges our understanding of how it formed. Officially named PSR J2322-2650b, this Jupiter-mass object appears to have an exotic helium-and-carbon-dominated atmosphere unlike any ever seen before. Soot clouds likely float through the air, and deep within the planet, these carbon clouds can condense and form diamonds. How the planet came to be is a mystery. The paper appears Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. "This was an absolute surprise," said study co-author Peter Gao of the Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory in Washington. "I remember after we got the data down, our collective reaction was 'What the heck is this?' It's extremely different from what we expected." Image A: Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b and Pulsar (Artist's Concept) llustration labeled "artist's concept" at right bottom corner. At left bottom corner, a partially illuminated, lemon-shaped exoplanet appears against a black background. This planet is most brightly illuminated at its elongated tip on its right side. On the left side, which is wider, the planet trails off into the darkness of the background. The planet is colored in varying, mottled shades of red, light pink, and fuchsia. Most of the pink occurs closest to the tip, while most of the fuchsia is at the top and bottom edges. At right top corner, a white beam emanates diagonally, oriented from 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock, from either side of a small, glowing, white star. This artist's concept shows what the exoplanet called PSR J2322-2650b (left) may look like as it orbits a rapidly spinning neutron star called a pulsar (right). Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar are pulling the Jupiter-mass world into a bizarre lemon shape. Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) This planet-mass object was known to orbit a pulsar, a rapidly spinning neutron star. A pulsar emits beams of electromagnetic radiation at regular intervals typically ranging from milliseconds to seconds. These pulsing beams can only be seen when they are pointing directly toward Earth, much like beams from a lighthouse. This millisecond pulsar is expected to be emitting mostly gamma rays and other high energy particles, which are invisible to Webb's infrared vision. Without a bright star in the way, scientists can study the planet in intricate detail across its whole orbit. "This system is unique because we are able to view the planet illuminated by its host star, but not see the host star at all," said Maya Beleznay, a third-year PhD candidate at Stanford University in California who worked on modeling the shape of the planet and the geometry of its orbit. "So we get a really pristine spectrum. And we can study this system in more detail than normal exoplanets." "The planet orbits a star that's completely bizarre -- the mass of the Sun, but the size of a city," said the University of Chicago's Michael Zhang, the principal investigator on this study. "This is a new type of planet atmosphere that nobody has ever seen before. Instead of finding the normal molecules we expect to see on an exoplanet -- like water, methane, and carbon dioxide -- we saw molecular carbon, specifically C[3] and C[2.]" Molecular carbon is very unusual because at these temperatures, if there are any other types of atoms in the atmosphere, carbon will bind to them. (Temperatures on the planet range from 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit at the coldest points of the night side to 3,700 degrees Fahrenheit at the hottest points of the day side.) Molecular carbon is only dominant if there's almost no oxygen or nitrogen. Out of the approximately 150 planets that astronomers have studied inside and outside the solar system, no others have any detectable molecular carbon. PSR J2322-2650b is extraordinarily close to its star, just 1 million miles away. In contrast, Earth's distance from the Sun is about 100 million miles. Because of its extremely tight orbit, the exoplanet's entire year -- the time it takes to go around its star -- is just 7.8 hours. Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar are pulling the Jupiter-mass planet into a bizarre lemon shape. Image B: Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b (Artist's Concept) Partially illuminated, lemon-shaped planet appears against a black background. The planet is most brightly illuminated at its elongated tip on its right side. On the left side, which is wider, the planet trails off into the darkness of the background. The planet is colored in varying, mottled shades of red, light pink, and fuchsia. Most of the pink occurs closest to the tip, while most of the fuchsia is at the top and bottom edges. This artist's concept shows what the exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b may look like. Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar it orbits are pulling the Jupiter-mass world into this bizarre lemon shape. Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) Together, the star and exoplanet may be considered a "black widow" system, though not a typical example. Black widow systems are a rare type of double system where a rapidly spinning pulsar is paired with a small, low-mass stellar companion. In the past, material from the companion streamed onto the pulsar, causing the pulsar to spin faster over time, which powers a strong wind. That wind and radiation then bombard and evaporate the smaller and less massive companion. Like the spider for which it is named, the pulsar slowly consumes its unfortunate partner. But in this case, the companion is officially considered an exoplanet, not a star. The International Astronomical Union defines an exoplanet as a celestial body below 13 Jupiter masses that orbits a star, brown dwarf, or stellar remnant, such as a pulsar. Of the 6,000 known exoplanets, this is the only one reminiscent of a gas giant (with mass, radius, and temperature similar to a hot Jupiter) orbiting a pulsar. Only a handful of pulsars are known to have planets. "Did this thing form like a normal planet? No, because the composition is entirely different," said Zhang. "Did it form by stripping the outside of a star, like 'normal' black widow systems are formed? Probably not, because nuclear physics does not make pure carbon. It's very hard to imagine how you get this extremely carbon-enriched composition. It seems to rule out every known formation mechanism." Study co-author Roger Romani, of Stanford University and the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology Institute, proposes one evocative phenomenon that could occur in the unique atmosphere. "As the companion cools down, the mixture of carbon and oxygen in the interior starts to crystallize," said Romani. "Pure carbon crystals float to the top and get mixed into the helium, and that's what we see. But then something has to happen to keep the oxygen and nitrogen away. And that's where the mystery comes in. "But it's nice to not know everything," said Romani. "I'm looking forward to learning more about the weirdness of this atmosphere. It's great to have a puzzle to go after." Video A: Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b and Pulsar (Artist's Concept) This animation shows an exotic exoplanet orbiting a distant pulsar, or rapidly rotating neutron star with radio pulses. The planet, which orbits about 1 million miles away from the pulsar, is stretched into a lemon shape by the pulsar's strong gravitational tides. Animation: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) With its infrared vision and exquisite sensitivity, this is a discovery only the Webb telescope could make. Its perch a million miles from Earth and its huge sunshield keep the instruments very cold, which is necessary for these observations. It is not possible to conduct this study from the ground. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). To learn more about Webb, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/webb Downloads & Related Information The following sections contain links to download this article's images and videos in all available resolutions followed by related information links, media contacts, and if available, research paper and spanish translation links. Related Images & Videos llustration labeled u201cartistu2019s conceptu201d at right bottom corner. At left bottom corner, a partially illuminated, lemon-shaped exoplanet appears against a black background. This planet is most brightly illuminated at its elongated tip on its right side. On the left side, which is wider, the planet trails off into the darkness of the background. The planet is colored in varying, mottled shades of red, light pink, and fuchsia. Most of the pink occurs closest to the tip, while most of the fuchsia is at the top and bottom edges. At right top corner, a white beam emanates diagonally, oriented from 10 ou2019clock to 4 ou2019clock, from either side of a small, glowing, white star. Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b and Pulsar (Artist's Concept) This artist's concept shows what the exoplanet called PSR J2322-2650b (left) may look like as it orbits a rapidly spinning neutron star called a pulsar (right). Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar are pulling the Jupiter-mass world into a bizarre lemon shape. Partially illuminated, lemon-shaped planet appears against a black background. The planet is most brightly illuminated at its elongated tip on its right side. On the left side, which is wider, the planet trails off into the darkness of the background. The planet is colored in varying, mottled shades of red, light pink, and fuchsia. Most of the pink occurs closest to the tip, while most of the fuchsia is at the top and bottom edges. Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b (Artist's Concept) This artist's concept shows what the exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b may look like. Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar it orbits are pulling the Jupiter-mass world into this bizarre lemon shape. Against a black background, a white beam emanates diagonally, oriented from 11 ou2019clock to 5 ou2019clock, from either side of a small, glowing, white star. To the right of this star, a partially illuminated, lemon-shaped exoplanet appears. This planet is most brightly illuminated at its elongated tip on its left side. The planetu2019s right side, which is wider, appears to trail off into the darkness of the background. The planet is colored in varying, mottled shades of red, light pink, and fuchsia. Most of the pink occurs closest to the tip, while most of the fuchsia is at the top and bottom edges. Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b Orbiting a Pulsar This animation shows an exotic exoplanet orbiting a distant pulsar, or rapidly rotating neutron star with radio pulses. The planet, which orbits about 1 million miles away from the pulsar, is stretched into a lemon shape by the pulsar's strong gravitational tides. NASA& rsqu... Related Links Article : Webb's Impact on Exoplanet Research Interactive: ViewSpace Exoplanet Variety: Atmosphere Video : How to Study Exoplanets: Webb and Challenges Video : Black Widow Pulsars Consume Their Mates More Webb News More Webb Images Webb Science Themes Webb Mission Page Related for Kids What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids Share * * * * Details Last Updated Dec 18, 2025 Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Contact Media Laura Betz NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Ann Jenkins Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Christine Pulliam Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, Maryland Related Terms * James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) * Astrophysics * Exoplanet Atmosphere * Exoplanets * Goddard Space Flight Center * Neutron Stars * Planetary Environments & Atmospheres * Pulsars * Science & Research Related Links and Documents * Science Paper: The science paper by M. Zhang et al. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Webb James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the... [jwst_artist_concept_0] Science Overview [webb-jpeg] Webb Observatory [jwstwebbblueprintfgscomposite1] Webb Image Galleries [webb-flickr-52259221868-30e1c78f0c-4k-jpg] NASA Logo National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. * About NASA's Mission Join Us * Home * News & Events * Multimedia * NASA+ * Missions * Humans in Space * Earth * The Solar System * The Universe * Science * Aeronautics * Technology * Learning Resources * About NASA * NASA en Espanol Follow NASA * * * * * More NASA Social Accounts * NASA Newsletters * Sitemap * For Media * Privacy Policy * FOIA * No FEAR Act * Office of the IG * Budget & Annual Reports * Agency Financial Reports * Contact NASA * Accessibility * Page Last Updated: Dec 18, 2025 * Page Editor: Marty McCoy * Responsible NASA Official for Science: Diana Logreira Did you find what you were looking for?(Required) ( ) Yes ( ) No ( ) Partly What were you looking for?(Required) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] What were you hoping to accomplish by visiting our website?(Required) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [Submit] x