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The first water vapour detection and exoplanet atmosphere characterization

Water is ubiquitous in the atmospheres of hot and warm exoplanets. Detecting, quantifying and mapping atmospheric water has revealed a great deal about dynamical and chemical processes on distant worlds.

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Fig. 1: Infrared spectroscopy transforms our ability to characterize exoplanets.

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Correspondence to Joanna K. Barstow.

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Barstow, J.K. The first water vapour detection and exoplanet atmosphere characterization. Nat Astron 9, 1584–1585 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02700-w

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