NIRISS Archives

June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 by Evan Gough

JWST Scans an Ultra-Hot Jupiter’s Atmosphere

This artist's illustration shows WASP 18 b, a hot Super-Jupiter that orbits its star in less than one day. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI).

When astronomers discovered WASP-18b in 2009, they uncovered one of the most unusual planets ever found. It’s ten times as massive as Jupiter is, it’s tidally locked to its Sun-like star, and it completes an orbit in less than one Earth day, about 23 hours.

Now astronomers have pointed the JWST and its powerful NIRSS instrument at the ultra-Hot Jupiter and mapped its extraordinary atmosphere.

February 2, 2023February 2, 2023 by Nancy Atkinson

Good News! Webb is Fully Operational Again

Artist image of JWST in space. Credit: NASA

The James Webb Space Telescope is back to full science operations. One of the telescope’s instruments, the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) had been offline since January 15 due to a communications error. But engineers worked through the problem and were able to return the instrument to full operations.

January 26, 2023January 26, 2023 by Evan Gough

Webb NIRISS Instrument has Gone Offline

Artist impression of the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: ESA.

The JWST is having a problem. One of its instruments, the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS,) has gone offline. The NIRISS performs spectroscopy on exoplanet atmospheres, among other things.

It’s been offline since Sunday. January 15th due to a communications error.