News
Indian astronomers plan to find first exo-moon using James Webb Space Telescope
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: As the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) begins science operations, Indian astronomers are ready to peer into the edge of the universe with the observatory. Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru have developed a new model to trace exo-moons that have remained elusive to ground- and space-based telescopes.Exo-moons are natural satellites that revolve around exoplanets, which are orbiting stars, just as planets in our own Solar System revolve around the Sun. Astronomers will look for habitable exo-moons as they try to understand new worlds beyond our solar system.
A large number of exo-moons are expected to be present in the universe, and they may play a crucial role in the habitability of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of their host stars. While most exoplanets are detected through the photometric transit method, signals from exo-moons are too weak to detect, mainly because of their extremely small size.
The James Webb Space Telescope.
Professor Sujan Sengupta of the IIA, along with his graduate student Suman Saha, has developed an analytical model that uses the radius and orbital properties of the host planet and its moon. The model uses their parameters and incorporates various possible orientations of the moon-planet-star system to model the photometric transit light curve of moon-hosting exoplanets.
They will use co-alignment and non-coalignment of the orbits of the planet and the moon as parameters to model all the possible orbital alignments for a star-planet-moon system. “Using these generic models and the analysis of photometric transit light curves of exoplanets that are being obtained by JWST, a large number of exomoons can be detected in near future,” the Department of Science and Technology said in a statement.
Astronomers across the world are looking for habitable planets that fall in the Goldilocks zone, which marks the distance between a star and a planet where temperatures are just optimum for water and life to flourish. According to the researchers, an exo-moon around a gas giant planet like Jupiter in the habitable zone of the host star where the temperature is appropriate for water to exist in a liquid state may harbour life.
“Under favourable alignment of moon-planet-star, such an exo-moon may also be detected by JWST,” they said in a statement.
So far, there have been 500 exoplanets that have been discovered outside our solar system, which have varied ranges when it comes to their composition and characteristics. These include small, rocky worlds like Earth, gas giants many times larger than Jupiter, and hot-Jupiters in scorchingly close orbits around their stars.These planets have been discovered using several ground-based and space telescopes, such as Kepler, CoRoT, Spitzer, and Hubble space telescopes. However, the natural satellites or exomoons around any of these planets still remain untraced, unlike our Solar System which is flooded with moons around its host planets. OVER
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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