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[Far and Wide Part 3: Exoplanets]
The same capabilities that make the James Webb and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes such powerful tools for studying the early universe will also help them in another key mission: the search for and study of exoplanets, or worlds outside our solar system.
Roman should find thousands of planets through the transit method, where the planets block some of their host star’s light as they orbit past, but will mainly hunt for both smaller exoplanets and ones with larger orbits using a method called gravitational microlensing.
Roman also has a coronagraph technology demonstration instrument. This dynamic coronagraph should allow Roman to directly image – take actual pictures of – planets similar to Jupiter.
Webb has a powerful suite of tools to study the light coming from exoplanets. Even if the planet itself isn’t visible as an object, its light can tell us a great deal about what it might look like if our equipment were sensitive enough. Because of this ability, Webb will be our prime tool for carefully studying the exoplanets we have found.
[Learn more at science.nasa.gov/roman-and-webb]
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