Astronomers find lava-covered “Super Earth”

A newly-discovered world called “55 Cancri e” that might somehow have an atmosphere has been found by astronomers.

The planet is covered in free-flowing lava on one side and a charred husk on the other, but it might actually be a lot more like Earth than you’d imagine.

Called a “Super Earth” because it’s roughly twice the size of our planet, 55 Cancri e is mighty hot. It orbits its star so closely that it’s tidally locked, meaning that the same side of the planet always faces its star.

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The result is a world with a lava-covered surface on one side and a hardened crust on the other, but observations made by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that the otherwise hostile planet may actually support an atmosphere a lot like Earth.

A new research, which was published in The Astronomical Journal, suggests that the planet’s atmosphere is like Earth in its makeup, but much thicker, potentially even thick enough to completely obscure its surface from view.

The theory of the planet holding an atmosphere has caused scientists to butt heads, but evidence appears to be mounting to support it.

 

 

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