O James Webb Space Telescope has provided a series of impressive new images of the Universe, also allowing a greater understanding of galaxies close to the Solar System.
A recent study published in the journal Nature reveals that scientists, using James Webb, have detected what may be the first rocky exoplanet with an atmosphere outside our Solar System.
This exoplanet, called 55 Cancri, is located 2.2 million kilometers away from the star it orbits, making the existence of life on its surface highly unlikely.
The research observed that the side of the planet facing the star has a lower temperature than expected, leading scientists to theorize that this may be the result of the presence of an atmosphere that transfers heat. As for the origin of this atmosphere, the study suggests that it may be composed of gases released from the planet’s interior.
“It is possible that the primary atmosphere has been lost due to the star’s high temperatures and intense radiation. This secondary atmosphere may be continually being replenished by the magma ocean. Magma not only consists of crystals and liquid rock; it also contains a large amount of dissolved gas,” said Aaron Bello-Arufe, one of the study’s authors from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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