According to the full study published in Nature Astronomy<\/a>, this method can distinguish between areas where water vapor is present and areas where it has been broken down by intense heat, allowing for the construction of a detailed 3D map.<\/p>\n A team of Astronomers used the #JWST<\/a> to create the first 3D atmospheric map of exoplanet, WASP-18b, located 400 lightyears from Earth.<\/p>\n WASP-18b is massive “ultra-hot jupiter”, revealed striking temperature contrasts, including regions so hot that water molecules are destroyed. pic.twitter.com\/R7a3EYFtQx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Trentymus Kostorus (@TrentKostorus) November 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n A Planet Where Water Doesn\u2019t Stand a Chance<\/p>\n WASP-18b is often described as an \u201cultra-hot Jupiter\u201d due to its extreme temperatures. The planet\u2019s dayside, which constantly faces its star, reaches temperatures that soar close to 5,000\u00b0F, hot enough to break apart water vapor. In fact, scientists had long predicted that the heat on such planets would destroy water molecules, but this new map has confirmed that the process occurs on a global scale.<\/p>\n The map revealed a super-hot core directly facing the star, surrounded by a cooler zone where more water vapor could still exist. This observation aligns with the hypothesis that planets with extreme heat would lack water, while cooler regions would retain it. <\/p>\n According to Megan Weiner Mansfield<\/a>, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, this is the first time scientists have been able to observe the temperature gradient that shows this phenomenon across a single planet\u2019s atmosphere. <\/p>\n Studying Exoplanet Atmospheres Like Never Before<\/p>\n While the extreme heat of WASP-18b made it an ideal subject, scientists are now eager to apply this method to smaller, rocky planets and even those without atmospheres. By analyzing temperature variations, researchers can uncover valuable insights into the composition and conditions of these worlds.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very exciting to finally have the tools to map the temperatures of distant planets in this much detail. It sets us up to possibly use the technique on other types of exoplanets,\u201d noted Mansfield.<\/p>\n For astronomers, the ability to analyze temperature data in three dimensions: latitude, longitude, and altitude. As pointed out by Megan Weiner Mansfield, this breakthrough enables far more precise comparisons between distant exoplanets<\/a> and those in our own solar system<\/a>. <\/p>\n \t\t![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/The-colors-represent-temperature-and-the-transparency-indicates-the-contribution-to-the-observed-flu.webp\")
The colors represent temperature, and the transparency indicates the contribution to the observed flux, based on the angle between the point on the map and the observer\u2019s line of sight. Credit: Nature astronomy<\/p>\n