US EditionJames Webb Space Telescope finds strongest evidence yet for atmosphere around rocky exoplanet: 'It's really like a wet lava ball'
JWST's observations reveal TOI-561 b has a thick, volatile-rich atmosphere above a magma ocean, with dayside temperatures 1,800°F cooler than expected for a bare rock, researchers said.
- Researchers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reported on Dec. 11 that JWST data provide the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere on rocky exoplanet TOI-561 b.
- TESS data showed TOI-561 b's unusually low density, prompting May 2024 JWST observations that captured four full orbits over more than 37 hours under Program 3860.
- Using NIRSpec, the team measured the planet's dayside temperature via secondary eclipses, finding it about 3,100–3,200 degrees Fahrenheit, far cooler than the expected 4,900 degrees.
- Model comparisons indicate TOI-561 b has a volatile-rich atmosphere above a global magma ocean, challenging views that small, close-in planets cannot sustain atmospheres and enabling interior and geological studies.
- Researchers say the Research team is still analyzing the full Webb data set to map temperature and composition while exploring how TOI-561 b retains atmosphere under intense radiation.
14 Articles
14 Articles
James Webb Space Telescope finds strongest evidence yet for atmosphere around rocky exoplanet: 'It's really like a wet lava ball'
The James Webb Space Telescope has found the strongest evidence yet of an atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet, challenging assumptions that ultra-hot super-Earths cannot hold onto air.
The planet TOI-561 b, an ultra-hot superland located outside our solar system, is surrounded by a thick layer of gases covering a global ocean of magma. It is the strongest evidence found so far of an atmosphere in a rocky exoplanet. The finding, made by a team of scientists from the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), has been made possible by observations from the James Webb (JWST) space telescope, operated by NASA, the European Space A…
An important finding was made by a group of scientists with the James Webb space telescope, after discovering that the planet “TOI-561 b”, an ultraheating superland located outside our solar system, is surrounded by a thick layer of gases covering a global ocean of magma. The discovery, whose details were published this Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters magazine, would correspond to the strongest evidence found so far of an atmospher…
Is This the Most Incredible Exoplanet Find Yet? James Webb Reveals an Atmosphere on a Lava-Like World!
Astronomers have uncovered the strongest evidence yet of an atmosphere surrounding a rocky exoplanet, TOI-561 b, orbiting extremely close to its star. Using the advanced tools of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists were able to measure the planet’s temperature. This discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, suggests that such planets may retain atmospheres far longer than previously believed. For years, researchers…
Webb Identifies Dense Atmosphere of Ultra-Hot Super-Earth TOI
Recent findings from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope indicate that TOI-561b is enveloped by a dense gas blanket above its global magma ocean. This artist’s concept illustrates TOI-561b and its stars. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Ralf Crawford, STScI. TOI-561 is a luminous star located 280.5 light-years away in the constellation Sextant. This star is approximately 10 [...] The post Webb Identifies Dense Atmosphere of Ultra-Hot Super-Ear…
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