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Closest Exoplanet Yet? JWST Reveals Neighboring Planet Candidate
Season 3 · Episode 28

Closest Exoplanet Yet? JWST Reveals Neighboring Planet Candidate

SETI Live

September 19, 202538m 11s

Show Notes

Join astronomers Franck Marchis (SETI Institute) and Julien Girard (Space Telescope Science Institute) for a 30-minute live discussion unpacking NASA's exciting new findings from JWST. Just announced, JWST has revealed strong evidence of a Saturn-mass gas giant orbiting Alpha Centauri A—the Sun's nearest solar twin—located just 4 light-years away. The planet appears to orbit at about 1 to 2 AU, placing it within the star's habitable zone, though as a gas giant, it's not likely habitable itself. (Recorded live 8 August 2025.)