The vast majority of planets discovered are outside the solar system It consists mainly of gasesIt lacks a solid surface similar to that of Jupiter or Saturn.
On the other hand, rocky planets are smaller, It represents a major challenge in terms of detection Because of its smaller size.
55 Cancri E is one of the Earth-like planets that has an atmosphere.
However, this is the first time astronomers have done this They were able to discover the atmosphere on a distant world, In a frame of possibilities where life is somewhat empty. Found a planet 41 light-years away It is similar to Earth, but it orbits close to its star.
An unexpected astronomical discovery: What is this planet “similar” to Earth?
According to what was reported by the scientific magazine Wired. A planet has an atmosphere when there is a layer of gases surrounding it. As on Earth, the thick mantle is mainly composed of… Nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gases.
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Thanks to this combination, Living things can breatheThe surface temperature is regulated and the climate exists, but a distinction must be made between that The term atmosphere is not synonymous with life.
Other planets within the solar system They also have an atmosphere, But it is sterile, as is the case with Mars and Venus. But for astrobiologists, it is the layer of gases surrounding a rocky body It is a basic indicator of habitability.
55 Cancri E has undergone multiple analyzes of its surface and atmosphere.
The “super-Earth” 55 Cancri E, located in the constellation Cancer, hasIt is twice the diameter of the Earth It is 8.8 times more massive, but it is close to the sun of its system It causes the surface to be covered in an ocean of lava At a temperature of 1700°C.
The James Webb Infrared Space Telescope was able to confirm previous suspicions About the existence of the atmosphere Observing changes in starlight as the planet passes in front of it.
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Atmosphere detected at 55 Cancri E: What the telescope discovered in this super-Earth
A powerful astronomical telescope was unable to identify it Spectral signature of certain gases, But the researchers who reported the discovery in the journal Nature predicted just that The atmosphere consists of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide.
Planets with a surface and an atmosphere are usually classified as super-Earths, especially if they are larger than the planet we live on.
This would be because The gases may have been released into the ocean from molten rocks. A discovery that could at least provide information about the evolution of the Earth and its related origins, It was covered with magma at least once in its history.
Since its discovery in 2004, 55 Cancri E has been the subject of various interpretations about its nature. Depending on the time and available technology, it was considered a gaseous body similar to Jupiter. A rock with a third of its mass is made up of diamonds And even the ocean world.
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