For the first time, astronomers say that they have detected a possible atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet. This smaller rocky world, 55 Cancri e, is only 41 light-years from Earth. But unlike our planet it is extremely hot.
Twice as big as Earth, the super-Earth 55 Cancri e was thought to have lava flows on its surface. Now, a new analysis finds this planet likely has an atmosphere whose ingredients could be similar to those of Earth.
New observations from the Hubble Space Telescope are helping characterize the atmospheres of exotic planets, such as the exoplanet 55 Cancri e.
For the first time, astronomers have analyzed the atmosphere of an exoplanet in the class known as super-Earths. Using data gathered with the Hubble Space Telescope and new analysis techniques, the exoplanet 55 Cancri e is revealed to have a dry atmosphere without any indications of water vapor.
