JWST Captures First Direct Image of an Exoplanet—HIP 65426 b

For the first time in its mission, the James Webb Space Telescope has accomplished a feat that once belonged only to science fiction: it has captured a direct image of a planet orbiting a distant star.

The exoplanet, known as HIP 65426b, lies approximately 385 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. And while it’s no stranger to astronomers—it was discovered in 2017—this is the first time we’ve seen it through the eyes of JWST, and the result is nothing short of historic.

“This is a transformative moment. JWST has shown it can image planets directly, and in infrared clarity we’ve never had before,” said Dr. Sasha Hinkley, principal investigator for the observing program.
(Source: NASA.gov)

What Makes HIP 65426 b So Special

HIP 65426 b is a young, gas giant planet estimated to be 6–12 times the mass of Jupiter. It’s incredibly hot—upwards of 1,300°C—and orbits its star at a distance of about 100 times the Earth-Sun distance. That distance, combined with the planet’s brightness in infrared, made it a perfect candidate for Webb’s coronagraphic imaging tools.

Using its NIRCam and MIRI instruments, JWST successfully blocked the light of the host star and captured direct infrared snapshots of the planet—something Hubble could never do at this resolution.

A New Frontier in Planetary Imaging

Direct imaging of exoplanets is exceptionally difficult. The host star is usually millions of times brighter than the planet itself, making it nearly impossible to isolate the planetary signal. But JWST’s suite of coronagraphs, explicitly designed for high-contrast imaging, is changing that game entirely.

This capability means we can now begin to observe:

• Atmospheric composition of young gas giants

• Orbital dynamics over time

• And potentially, the first direct infrared images of rocky, Earth-like worlds in the near future

HIP 65426 b serves as both a test case and a triumph. It shows that JWST is ready to study planetary systems in ways we’ve only dreamed about until now.

What’s Coming Next

This image marks the beginning of a larger campaign to directly observe a range of planets across different sizes, ages, and compositions. With coronagraph tech validated, JWST will next focus on targets like the Beta Pictoris system, HR 8799, and possibly even TRAPPIST-1. However, its planets may remain too faint for direct capture—for now.

We’re no longer just detecting planets by their shadows. We’re beginning to see them for what they are.

The future’s unfolding—and we’re decoding it one trend at a time.
— Zane