
Where's the Dividing Line Between A Star and A Planet? Ask the JWST.
JWST directly imaged 29 Cygni b, a sub-stellar object approximately 15 times the mass of Jupiter, orbiting its A-type star at 2.4 billion km. This research, led by William Balmer from Johns Hopkins University, explores the deuterium burning limit, challenging definitions of stars and planets. Findings suggest 29 Cygni b formed in a protoplanetary disk, exhibiting both stellar and planetary characteristics.

JWST Sees Smoking Gun for Black Hole Mergers in the Virgo Cluster
JWST observations of dwarf galaxies NGC 4486B and UCD736 in the Virgo Cluster reveal 'overmassive' black holes resulting from past mergers. These black holes, comprising significant mass fractions, illustrate the evolutionary effects of galaxy interactions. The study, led by Monica Valluri, highlights the gravitational waves produced and the potential for black hole resettlement within 30 to 80 million years.