Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): a scorching hot lava planet, known as 55 Cancri e or Janssen, has regrown a second atmosphere after its star destroyed its first. Located in a nearby solar system, this super-Earth planet is approximately 8.8 times more massive than Earth and has a diameter about twice that of our planet. It orbits its star, Copernicus, at a mere one-twenty-fifth the distance between Mercury and the Sun in our solar system.
55 Cancri e stands out as one of the few rocky planets beyond our solar system to possess a substantial atmosphere, primarily composed of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Despite its proximity to its star, which results in permanent day and night sides, the planet has managed to maintain an atmosphere.
Researchers believe that gases released from 55 Cancri e’s magma oceans may play a crucial role in sustaining its atmosphere. The planet’s extreme surface temperature, reaching up to 4,200 degrees Fahrenheit, precludes the possibility of life as we know it. Nevertheless, this discovery offers valuable insights into the formation and evolution of atmospheres on exoplanets.
