August 2025

The Alpha Centauri system as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope on the left, a zoom of the two main stars in the center, and a further zoom on the right indicating the exoplanet candidate designated as S1.

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Two articles accepted for publication in “The Astrophysical Journal Letters” report different aspects of the study that led to the possible discovery of a gas giant planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri A. Astronomers used observations with the James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI instrument to identify a light source whose characteristics make it a candidate exoplanet. The information gathered suggests it may be a gas planet similar in size to Jupiter, although its mass could be close to Saturn’s. If confirmed, it would be the closest exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star in its system’s habitable zone.

The Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft docked with the Harmony module of the International Space Station in its Crew-11 mission (Image NASA+)

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A little while ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft docked with the Harmony module of the International Space Station, completing the first part of its Crew-11 or SpaceX Crew-11 mission that began with its launch about 15.5 hours earlier. After checking that the pressure gets properly balanced, the hatch will be opened to allow Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Zena Cardman to enter the Station and start their mission, which could last even 8 months.