Webb Telescope Finds a (Hot) Earth-Sized Planet With an Atmosphere

An anonymous reader shared this report from the Associated Press:A thick atmosphere has been detected around a planet that's twice as big as Earth in a nearby solar system, researchers reported Wednesday. The so-called super Earth - known as 55 Cancri e - is among the few rocky planets outside our solar system with a significant atmosphere, wrapped in a blanket of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The exact amounts are unclear. Earth's atmosphere is a blend of nitrogen, oxygen, argon and other gases. "It's probably the firmest evidence yet that this planet has an atmosphere," said Ian Crossfield, an astronomer at the University of Kansas who studies exoplanets and was not involved with the research. The research was published in the journal Nature. "The boiling temperatures on this planet - which can reach as hot as 4,200 degrees Fahrenheit (2,300 degrees Celsius) - mean that it is unlikely to host life," the article points out. "Instead, scientists say the discovery is a promising sign that other such rocky planets with thick atmospheres could exist that may be more hospitable."

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