In a nearby solar system, researchers have discovered a thick atmosphere around a super Earth planet named 55 Cancri e, which is twice as big as Earth. This rocky planet has a significant atmosphere composed of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, although the exact amounts are unknown. In comparison, Earth’s atmosphere consists of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and other gases.
The study, published in the journal Nature, provides strong evidence that the super Earth has an atmosphere, according to Ian Crossfield, an astronomer at the University of Kansas. By studying observations from the Webb Space Telescope, researchers were able to determine the planet’s temperature and analyze how heat is distributed evenly across its surface, a characteristic associated with atmospheres.
This super Earth is eight times heavier than our planet and circles its star Copernicus closely, with permanent day and night sides. The gases emitted from the planet’s magma oceans could be crucial in maintaining its atmosphere. Investigating this super Earth further may offer insights into the early evolution of Earth and Mars, both of which may have had magma oceans that have since cooled. Renyu Hu, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory involved in the research, describes this discovery as a rare window into understanding the early phases of planet evolution.