Mercedes Lopez-Morales

Abstract: The discovery rate of new exoplanets has steadily increased since the 1990s, and the pace is expected to continue for at least another decade with the advent of new facilities. However, progress in our understanding of the actual physical and chemical properties of exoplanets, and how they form and evolve has been significantly slower because of limitations in instrumentation capable of characterizing their atmospheres.

In this talk I will describe how the successful launch of JWST has already transformed the field of exoplanets and how we expect it will further transform it with just the first round of observations in 2023. I will summarize the findings of our Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Program so far and their implications for our understanding of exoplanet formation. I will also present a number of other early results, including our first observations of earth-sized exoplanet atmospheres, to conclude with a brief preview of other upcoming observations.