‘Unique’ hellish alien planet is rocky ‘Super Earth’ with its own atmosphere and deadly oceans of molten magma

SCIENTISTS have discovered that a hellish fiery planet may have its own atmosphere and is covered in a sea of ​​molten magma.

55 Cancri e was discovered in 2004 and remains a mystery to scientists who have studied it for two decades.

3

Also known as Janssen, the planet is located about 40 light-years away from Earth and is one of five known planets orbiting the Sun-like star 55 Cancri, according to NASA.

The exoplanet is classified as a “super-Earth” as it is twice the diameter of Earth and is between the size of our home planet and Neptune.

It orbits so close to its star, about 45 the distance between Mercury and the Sun, that the planet’s entire surface is a bubbling ocean of hot magma with temperatures high enough to melt iron, according to Live Science.

Researchers pondered what kind of rocks could live on a planet with such high temperatures.

“The planet is so hot that some of the molten rock should evaporate,” explained Renyu Hu of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, according to NASA.

Thus, they still believed that even with the extreme heat, 55 Cancri e was empty except for vaporized rock, rich in elements such as silicon, iron, aluminum and calcium.

NASA also noted that because it orbits so close to its star, the planet may be tidally locked, meaning it cannot rotate, so one side of the planet is always covered in light, while the other is in endless darkness. .

Questions regarding the planet included its orbital cycle, its density, but mainly whether or not it had an atmosphere.

NEW INFORMATION

The James Webb Space Telescope shared groundbreaking evidence pointing to the boiling planet with a unique atmosphere.

Scientists have used multiple techniques to suggest that it exists.

They used JWST’s near-infrared camera and mid-infrared instrument to measure 4- to 12-micron infrared light coming from the planet.

The technology is not capable of taking a photo of the planet, but it has the ability to measure small changes in light as 55 Cancri orbits.

The researchers used secondary eclipse spectroscopy to determine whether an atmosphere was present.

They subtracted the brightness of the star during the secondary eclipse, as it passes behind the star, from the brightness of the planet and star when they are side by side.

By doing this, scientists were able to find infrared light coming from the day side of the planet.

Another way they suggested there was an atmosphere was from the planet’s thermal emission in the form of inferred light.

If the planet is as they believe, with dark molten rock and floating vaporized rock, the side of the planet facing the star should be about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Instead, MIRI data showed a relatively low temperature of about 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit [~1540 degrees Celsius],” Hu said, according to NASA.

“This is a very strong indication that energy is being distributed from the day side to the night side, most likely by a volatile-rich atmosphere.”

3

They also observed, using NIRCam data, that there is a dip in the spectrum between 4 and 5 microns, suggesting that there is carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide that absorbs the wavelengths of light, according to NASA.

A planet without an atmosphere or just vaporized rock would not have this characteristic.

Scientists also considered molten lava on the planet while discussing the possible atmosphere.

They believe magma is bubbling inside because any external gas would have long since disappeared.

Although the planet is habitable, researchers think it could be a tool for studying interactions between atmospheres, surfaces and the inner workings of rocky planets.

“Ultimately, we want to understand what conditions make it possible for a rocky planet to sustain an atmosphere rich in gas: a key ingredient for a habitable planet,” Hu said, according to NASA.