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Wednesday, September 23, 2026 · UTC
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JWST observes first stellar occultation by a small Solar System body

On 18 October 2022, JWST observed centaur Chariklo pass in front of a distant star - the first stellar occultation recorded from beyond Earth's orbit.

Luisa Marconi
Senior Space Correspondent
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Astronomers use JWST to observe stellar occultation by small Solar System body
Astronomers use JWST to observe stellar occultation by small Solar System body AI illustrationhow this picture was made
On 18 October 2022, astronomers from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia conducted the first successfully planned stellar occultation observation using the James Webb Space Telescope, targeting centaur 10199 Chariklo. [1] JWST observed Chariklo pass in front of a distant star, marking the first stellar occultationby a small Solar System body successfully observed with JWST and the first recorded from beyond Earth's orbit. [2]
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  1. On 18 October 2022, astronomers from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia conducted the first successfully planned stellar occultation observation using the James Webb Space Telescope, targeting centaur 10199 Chariklo. · The Debrief
  2. On 2022-10-18, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope observed Chariklo pass in front of a distant star in a stellar occultation, marking the first stellar occultation by a small Solar System body successfully observed with JWST and the first recorded from beyond Earth's orbit. · ZME Science
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