Atmosphere detected on rocky Super-Earth-type exoplanet

Using data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), youA group of researchers believe they have discovered an atmosphere around the rocky exoplanet 55 Cancri E (Janssen). Located about 41 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cancer, the exoplanet orbits a Sun-like star. In fact, this is perhaps the only similarity with the planets in our system.

The article, published in the scientific journal Nature, explains that the presence of an atmosphere is not an indication that the planet is habitable. Because the celestial body is so close to its star that its surface may be covered with an ocean of molten lava. The cosmic object is also It is classified as a Super Earth because it is rocky, larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune. – its size is twice that of our planet.

In the official statement regarding the study, it was stated that 55 Cancri E is only one of the five planets found to orbit a star similar to the Sun in the Cancer Constellation. The exoplanet orbits the star Copernicus (55 Cancri A), part of a binary system of dwarf stars, completing its orbit approximately every 18 hours.

“JWST really pushes the boundaries of exoplanet characterization for rocky exoplanets. It enables a truly new kind of science. As a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, I led the discovery of the first pass of 55 Cancri e, and in 2016 my team published the first pass. NASA’s Jet “It’s a map of a rocky exoplanet, which is 55 Cancri E,” said Renyu Hu, a scientist at the Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and leader of the team responsible for the paper.

A Super-Earth with an atmosphere?

According to Brice-Olivier Demory, a researcher at the University of Bern (Switzerland) and member of the study team, exoplanet 55 Cancri E has been one of the objects studied by astronomers in recent years, but its mysterious nature has only now been revealed. be understood. . To reach this conclusion, scientists conducted an analysis of the JWST dataset and information collected by the CHEOPS space telescope in recent years.

Researchers noticed thermal emission temperature measurements indicate that 55 Cancri E may have an atmosphere. A rocky planet like this should have a daytime temperature of 2,200 degrees Celsius, but analysis shows that the surface temperature was recorded at around 1,500 degrees Celsius.

In other words, the climate looks much milder than expected and HE It is a complete indication that energy is dissipated due to an atmosphere rich in volatile gases.

“Ultimately, we want to understand what conditions allow a rocky planet to maintain a gas-rich atmosphere: the essential ingredient of a habitable planet,” Hu said. Hu concludes.

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