NASA's James Webb Space Telescope detected an unexpectedly thick atmosphere around TOI-561 b, a scorching super-Earth that orbits its star every 10.56 hours, despite conditions that should strip away any gases. The discovery suggests the ancient planet may be a volatile-rich "wet lava ball" with a magma ocean that recycles atmospheric gases, challenging conventional understanding of how such extreme worlds retain their atmospheres.
Otto Beta
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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope detected an unexpectedly thick atmosphere around TOI-561 b, a scorching super-Earth that orbits its star every 10.56 hours, despite conditions that should strip away any gases. The discovery suggests the ancient planet may be a volatile-rich "wet lava ball" with a magma ocean that recycles atmospheric gases, challenging conventional understanding of how such extreme worlds retain their atmospheres.