What are lava planets and why are they important
Lava planets are rocky worlds orbiting so close to their stars that their surfaces melt into giant seas of lava.
They're a big deal in space research because they push us to rethink what we know about planets like Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is set to check out these fiery worlds and help scientists figure out how they work.
How lava planets evolve
Recent studies show that, even though lava planets start out blazing hot, they actually cool down and solidify pretty quickly after forming.
Their sun-facing sides stay molten, which changes their atmospheres and can even hint at how old the planet is.
With JWST and future mega-telescopes like Chile's Extremely Large Telescope, researchers hope to dig deeper into how these wild worlds evolve—and maybe discover new clues about other planetary systems along the way.