ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A team of researchers, including from the University of New Mexico, recently published their findings that hypothesize for the first time there may be evidence a rocky planet contains an atmosphere.
The exoplanet 55 Cancri e, which is 41 light years away from earth, orbits a start similar to the sun. The exoplanet orbits so close to the star, making it uninhabitable. The exoplanet is so close to the star the gravitational pull does not allow it to rotate, so one side of the planet is in permanent day while the other is dark, according to NASA. It was previously thought the planet was so hot that it would not be able to maintain an atmosphere, but the researchers suggest the exoplanet may have an atmosphere.
The researchers hypothesize that seas of magma replenish continuously and the atmosphere likely formed from volcanic activity triggered by the close distance to the star. The team suggests the atmosphere could be made up of vaporized rock rich in carbon, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The team was able to use images from the James Webb Space Telescope to help with its study.
The team published its findings in Nature.
