55 Cancri e, a rocky planet 41 light-years away with a thick atmosphere possibly rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, has been detected by astronomers.
Astronomers have detected a rocky planet, 55 Cancri e, 41 light-years away, with a thick atmosphere, possibly rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide. This super-Earth, twice the size of Earth, orbits a star dimmer than our sun and is covered by a magma ocean. The discovery provides the strongest evidence to date for the existence of a rocky planet atmosphere outside our solar system, suggesting the possibility of other rocky planets with thicker atmospheres that might be more hospitable to life.
May 08, 2024
15 Articles