The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered its first exoplanet, TWA 7b, a low-mass planet orbiting the young star TWA 7. Located 111 light-years away, TWA 7b is approximately 100 times the mass of Earth and ten times lighter than any previously directly imaged exoplanet. Its discovery was made possible by JWST's ability to detect infrared radiation and its coronagraph, which blocks starlight. The finding, published in Nature, suggests many more such discoveries are likely.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.