Astronomers using JWST and other infrared telescopes are detecting unexpected heat signatures around celestial objects—from dwarf planets like Makemake to white dwarfs in globular clusters—revealing hidden activity and potentially destroyed planetary systems that conventional observations miss.
·JWST's mid-infrared instruments found excess heat around Makemake indicating ongoing surface or internal activity on the distant dwarf planet
·White dwarfs in NGC 6397 globular cluster show infrared excess suggesting planetary debris or unaccounted-for companions
·Searches across millions of stars are uncovering debris disks and thermal signatures that hint at advanced civilizations or Dyson sphere candidates
·Destroyed planetary systems around white dwarfs reveal through infrared excess where tidal forces have shredded orbiting bodies
drawn from AZoQuantum, Astrobiology Web, Astrobites, AAS Nova · updated 170d ago