The James Webb Space Telescope has helped astronomers study an exoplanet 40 light-years away known as VHS 1256 b. This world has perpetually swirling clouds made of sizzling, gritty flecks of sand, temperatures reaching 1500°F, and rainstorms likely consisting of a sandy mixture. Scientists have detected water, methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.
Its two stars are located four times farther than Pluto is from the sun, and its day is only two hours shorter than Earth’s. The observations reveal a world with some similar characteristics to Earth’s while including many other brutal conditions.
