NASA's Webb finds super-Earth has thick atmosphere
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reported the strongest evidence yet for a thick atmosphere around TOI-561 b, a rocky planet 280 light-years away that orbits its star in just over 10 hours.
This super-Earth is about 1.4 times the size of our planet, about 3.2 times Earth's mass, and has one side always facing its star over a vast ocean of magma.
Webb tracked almost 4 full orbits
Earlier observations (date not specified in the source) show Webb watched TOI-561 b for more than 37 hours, tracking almost four full orbits.
The telescope measured the planet's dayside temperature at about 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius), way cooler than scientists expected if it was just bare rock.
Figuring out what's in this wild atmosphere could teach us
That lower temperature hints there are gasses swirling around the planet, helping move heat from one side to the other, even though it's blasted by intense starlight.
Scientists think these volatile-rich gasses are held in place by the planet's strong gravity.
Figuring out exactly what's in this wild atmosphere could teach us more about rocky planets and whether they might ever support life.