\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA\u2019s Webb Hints at Possible Atmosphere Surrounding Rocky Exoplanet\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/webb-stsci-01hwqz51tykxttfapc9rq0fnje.png?w=1536\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThis artist\u2019s concept shows what the exoplanet 55 Cancri e could look like based on observations from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nResearchers using NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope may have detected atmospheric gases surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet 41 light-years from Earth. This is the best evidence to date for the existence of any rocky planet atmosphere outside our solar system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Renyu Hu from NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, is lead author on a paper published today in Nature<\/em><\/a>. \u201cWebb is pushing the frontiers of exoplanet characterization to rocky planets,\u201d Hu said. \u201cIt is truly enabling a new type of science.\u201d<\/p>\nSuper-Hot Super-Earth 55 Cancri e<\/h2>\n
55 Cancri e (image below<\/a>, details\/download<\/a>), \u00a0also known as Janssen, is one of five known planets orbiting the Sun-like star 55 Cancri, in the constellation Cancer. With a diameter nearly twice that of Earth and density slightly greater, the planet is classified as a super-Earth<\/a>: larger than Earth, smaller than Neptune, and likely similar in composition to the rocky planets in our solar system.<\/p>\nTo describe 55 Cancri e as \u201crocky,\u201d however, could leave the wrong impression. The planet orbits so close to its star (about 1.4 million miles, or one-twenty-fifth the distance between Mercury and the Sun) that its surface is likely to be molten \u2013 a bubbling ocean of magma<\/a>. With such a tight orbit, the planet is also likely to be tidally locked, with a dayside that faces the star at all times and a nightside in perpetual darkness.<\/p>\nIn spite of numerous observations since it was discovered to transit<\/a> in 2011, the question of whether or not 55 Cancri e has an atmosphere \u2013 or even could<\/em> have one given its high temperature and the continuous onslaught of stellar radiation and wind<\/a> from its star \u2013 has gone unanswered.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve worked on this planet for more than a decade,\u201d said Diana Dragomir, an exoplanet researcher at the University of New Mexico and co-author on the study. \u201cIt\u2019s been really frustrating that none of the observations we\u2019ve been getting have robustly solved these mysteries. I am thrilled that we\u2019re finally getting some answers!\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike the atmospheres of gas giant planets, which are relatively easy to spot (the first was detected<\/a> by NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope more than two decades ago), thinner and denser atmospheres surrounding rocky planets have remained elusive.<\/p>\nPrevious studies<\/a> of 55 Cancri e using data from NASA\u2019s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope suggested the presence of a substantial atmosphere rich in volatiles (molecules that occur in gas form on Earth) like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. But researchers could not rule out another possibility: that the planet is bare, save for a tenuous shroud of vaporized rock, rich in elements like silicon, iron, aluminum, and calcium. \u201cThe planet is so hot that some of the molten rock should evaporate,\u201d explained Hu.<\/p>\nImage: Super-Earth Exoplanet 55 Cancri e (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/webb-stsci-01hwqz51tykxttfapc9rq0fnje.png?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThis artist\u2019s concept shows what the exoplanet 55 Cancri e could look like based on observations from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories. Observations from Webb\u2019s NIRCam and MIRI suggest that the planet may be surrounded by an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbon monoxide (CO). Researchers think the gases that make up the atmosphere could have bubbled out of an ocean of magma that is thought to cover the planet\u2019s surface.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMeasuring Subtle Variations in Infrared Colors<\/h2>\n
To distinguish between the two possibilities, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure 4- to 12-micron infrared light coming from the planet.<\/p>\n
Although Webb cannot capture a direct image of 55 Cancri e, it can measure subtle changes in light from the system as the planet orbits the star.<\/p>\n
By subtracting the brightness during the secondary eclipse (image below<\/a>, details\/download<\/a>), when the planet is behind the star (starlight only), from the brightness when the planet is right beside the star (light from the star and planet combined), the team was able to calculate the amount of various wavelengths of infrared light coming from the dayside of the planet.<\/p>\nThis method, known as secondary eclipse spectroscopy<\/a>, is similar to that used by other research teams to search for atmospheres on other rocky exoplanets, like TRAPPIST-1 b<\/a>.<\/p>\nImage: Super-Earth Exoplanet 55 Cancri e (MIRI Secondary Eclipse Light Curve)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/webb-stsci-01hwqt0tpvc0adm25fwdy5qvsh.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nA light curve of 7.5- to 11.8-micron light captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) in March 2023 shows the decrease in brightness of the 55 Cancri system as the rocky planet 55 Cancri e moves behind the star, a phenomenon known as a secondary eclipse. The amount of mid-infrared light given off by the planet (the difference in brightness between the star-and-planet combined and the star on its own) indicates that the planet\u2019s dayside temperature is about 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature, which is low compared to a similar<\/p>\nplanet with no atmosphere, indicates that heat is being distributed from the dayside to the nightside of the planet, possibly by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Cooler than Expected<\/h2>\n
The first indication that 55 Cancri e could have a substantial atmosphere came from temperature measurements based on its thermal emission (image below<\/a>, details\/download<\/a>), or heat energy given off in the form of infrared light. If the planet is covered in dark molten rock with a thin veil of vaporized rock or no atmosphere at all, the dayside should be around 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (~2,200 degrees Celsius).\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cInstead, the MIRI data showed a relatively low temperature of about 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit [~1540 degrees Celsius],\u201d said Hu. \u201cThis is a very strong indication that energy is being distributed from the dayside to the nightside, most likely by a volatile-rich atmosphere.\u201d While currents of lava can carry some heat around to the nightside, they cannot move it efficiently enough to explain the cooling effect.<\/p>\n
When the team looked at the NIRCam data, they saw patterns consistent with a volatile-rich atmosphere. \u201c<\/a>We see evidence of a dip in the spectrum between 4 and 5 microns \u2014 less of this light is reaching the telescope,\u201d explained co-author Aaron Bello-Arufe, also from NASA JPL. \u201cThis suggests the presence of an atmosphere containing carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, which absorb these wavelengths of light.\u201d A planet with no atmosphere or an atmosphere consisting only of vaporized rock would not have this specific spectral feature.<\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019ve spent the last ten years modelling different scenarios, trying to imagine what this world might look like,\u201d said co-author Yamila Miguel from the Leiden Observatory and the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON). \u201cFinally getting some confirmation of our work is priceless!\u201d<\/p>\n
Image: Super-Earth Exoplanet 55 Cancri e (NIRCam + MIRI Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Graphic](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/webb-stsci-01hwqt36ayrm423hpkrpxfezj1.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nA thermal emission spectrum of the super-Earth exoplanet 55 Cancri e, captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) GRISM Spectrometer (F444W) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) Low-Resolution Spectrometer, shows that the planet may be surrounded by an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide and other volatiles, not just vaporized rock.<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBubbling Magma Ocean<\/h2>\n
The team thinks that the gases blanketing 55 Cancri e would be bubbling out from the interior, rather than being present ever since the planet formed. \u201cThe primary atmosphere would be long gone because of the high temperature and intense radiation from the star,\u201d said Bello-Arufe. \u201cThis would be a secondary atmosphere that is continuously replenished by the magma ocean. Magma is not just crystals and liquid rock; there\u2019s a lot of dissolved gas in it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
While 55 Cancri e is far too hot to be habitable, researchers think it could provide a unique window for studying interactions between atmospheres, surfaces, and interiors of rocky planets, and perhaps provide insights into the early conditions of Earth, Venus, and Mars, which are thought to have been covered in magma oceans far in the past. \u201cUltimately, we want to understand what conditions make it possible for a rocky planet to sustain a gas-rich atmosphere: a key ingredient for a habitable planet,\u201d said Hu.<\/p>\n
This research was conducted as part of Webb\u2019s General Observers (GO) Program 1952<\/a>. Analysis of additional secondary eclipse observations<\/a> of 55 Cancri e are currently in progress.<\/p>\nThe James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.<\/em><\/p>\nDownloads<\/h2>\n
Right click the images in this article to open a larger version<\/strong> in a new tab\/window.
Download full resolution images for this article<\/a><\/strong> from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
The research results are published in Nature<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\nMedia Contacts<\/h2>\n
Laura\u00a0Betz<\/strong> \u2013 laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a>, Rob Gutro<\/strong> \u2013 rob.gutro@nasa.gov<\/a>
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.<\/p>\nMargaret Carruthers<\/strong>\u00a0mcarruthers@stsci.edu<\/a>, Christine Pulliam<\/strong> \u2013 cpulliam@stsci.edu<\/a>
Space Telescope Science Institute<\/a>, Baltimore, Md.<\/p>\nRelated Information<\/h2>\n
What is an Exoplanet?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nVIDEO: How do we learn about a planets Atmosphere?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n55 Cancri e exoplanet and 55 Cancri system simulated in 3d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWebb\u2019s Impact on Exoplanet Research<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore Webb News<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/latestnews\/<\/p>\nMore Webb Images<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/multimedia\/images\/<\/p>\nWebb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/<\/p>\nRelated For Kids<\/h2>\n
What is a exoplanet?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWhat is the Webb Telescope?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nSpacePlace for Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nEn Espa\u00f1ol<\/h2>\n
Para Ni\u00f1os<\/strong> : Qu\u00e9 es una exoplaneta?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nCiencia de la NASA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nNASA en espa\u00f1ol\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nSpace Place\u00a0para ni\u00f1os<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nKeep Exploring<\/div>\nRelated Topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nResearchers using NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope may have detected atmospheric gases surrounding 55 Cancri e, a hot rocky exoplanet 41 light-years from Earth. This is the best evidence to date for the existence of any rocky planet atmosphere outside our solar system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Renyu Hu from NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, is lead author on a paper published today in Nature<\/em><\/a>. \u201cWebb is pushing the frontiers of exoplanet characterization to rocky planets,\u201d Hu said. \u201cIt is truly enabling a new type of science.\u201d<\/p>\n 55 Cancri e (image below<\/a>, details\/download<\/a>), \u00a0also known as Janssen, is one of five known planets orbiting the Sun-like star 55 Cancri, in the constellation Cancer. With a diameter nearly twice that of Earth and density slightly greater, the planet is classified as a super-Earth<\/a>: larger than Earth, smaller than Neptune, and likely similar in composition to the rocky planets in our solar system.<\/p>\n To describe 55 Cancri e as \u201crocky,\u201d however, could leave the wrong impression. The planet orbits so close to its star (about 1.4 million miles, or one-twenty-fifth the distance between Mercury and the Sun) that its surface is likely to be molten \u2013 a bubbling ocean of magma<\/a>. With such a tight orbit, the planet is also likely to be tidally locked, with a dayside that faces the star at all times and a nightside in perpetual darkness.<\/p>\n In spite of numerous observations since it was discovered to transit<\/a> in 2011, the question of whether or not 55 Cancri e has an atmosphere \u2013 or even could<\/em> have one given its high temperature and the continuous onslaught of stellar radiation and wind<\/a> from its star \u2013 has gone unanswered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve worked on this planet for more than a decade,\u201d said Diana Dragomir, an exoplanet researcher at the University of New Mexico and co-author on the study. \u201cIt\u2019s been really frustrating that none of the observations we\u2019ve been getting have robustly solved these mysteries. I am thrilled that we\u2019re finally getting some answers!\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike the atmospheres of gas giant planets, which are relatively easy to spot (the first was detected<\/a> by NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope more than two decades ago), thinner and denser atmospheres surrounding rocky planets have remained elusive.<\/p>\n Previous studies<\/a> of 55 Cancri e using data from NASA\u2019s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope suggested the presence of a substantial atmosphere rich in volatiles (molecules that occur in gas form on Earth) like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. But researchers could not rule out another possibility: that the planet is bare, save for a tenuous shroud of vaporized rock, rich in elements like silicon, iron, aluminum, and calcium. \u201cThe planet is so hot that some of the molten rock should evaporate,\u201d explained Hu.<\/p>\n To distinguish between the two possibilities, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure 4- to 12-micron infrared light coming from the planet.<\/p>\n Although Webb cannot capture a direct image of 55 Cancri e, it can measure subtle changes in light from the system as the planet orbits the star.<\/p>\n By subtracting the brightness during the secondary eclipse (image below<\/a>, details\/download<\/a>), when the planet is behind the star (starlight only), from the brightness when the planet is right beside the star (light from the star and planet combined), the team was able to calculate the amount of various wavelengths of infrared light coming from the dayside of the planet.<\/p>\n This method, known as secondary eclipse spectroscopy<\/a>, is similar to that used by other research teams to search for atmospheres on other rocky exoplanets, like TRAPPIST-1 b<\/a>.<\/p>\n planet with no atmosphere, indicates that heat is being distributed from the dayside to the nightside of the planet, possibly by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The first indication that 55 Cancri e could have a substantial atmosphere came from temperature measurements based on its thermal emission (image below<\/a>, details\/download<\/a>), or heat energy given off in the form of infrared light. If the planet is covered in dark molten rock with a thin veil of vaporized rock or no atmosphere at all, the dayside should be around 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (~2,200 degrees Celsius).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInstead, the MIRI data showed a relatively low temperature of about 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit [~1540 degrees Celsius],\u201d said Hu. \u201cThis is a very strong indication that energy is being distributed from the dayside to the nightside, most likely by a volatile-rich atmosphere.\u201d While currents of lava can carry some heat around to the nightside, they cannot move it efficiently enough to explain the cooling effect.<\/p>\n When the team looked at the NIRCam data, they saw patterns consistent with a volatile-rich atmosphere. \u201c<\/a>We see evidence of a dip in the spectrum between 4 and 5 microns \u2014 less of this light is reaching the telescope,\u201d explained co-author Aaron Bello-Arufe, also from NASA JPL. \u201cThis suggests the presence of an atmosphere containing carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, which absorb these wavelengths of light.\u201d A planet with no atmosphere or an atmosphere consisting only of vaporized rock would not have this specific spectral feature.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve spent the last ten years modelling different scenarios, trying to imagine what this world might look like,\u201d said co-author Yamila Miguel from the Leiden Observatory and the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON). \u201cFinally getting some confirmation of our work is priceless!\u201d<\/p>\n The team thinks that the gases blanketing 55 Cancri e would be bubbling out from the interior, rather than being present ever since the planet formed. \u201cThe primary atmosphere would be long gone because of the high temperature and intense radiation from the star,\u201d said Bello-Arufe. \u201cThis would be a secondary atmosphere that is continuously replenished by the magma ocean. Magma is not just crystals and liquid rock; there\u2019s a lot of dissolved gas in it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n While 55 Cancri e is far too hot to be habitable, researchers think it could provide a unique window for studying interactions between atmospheres, surfaces, and interiors of rocky planets, and perhaps provide insights into the early conditions of Earth, Venus, and Mars, which are thought to have been covered in magma oceans far in the past. \u201cUltimately, we want to understand what conditions make it possible for a rocky planet to sustain a gas-rich atmosphere: a key ingredient for a habitable planet,\u201d said Hu.<\/p>\n This research was conducted as part of Webb\u2019s General Observers (GO) Program 1952<\/a>. Analysis of additional secondary eclipse observations<\/a> of 55 Cancri e are currently in progress.<\/p>\n The James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.<\/em><\/p>\n Right click the images in this article to open a larger version<\/strong> in a new tab\/window. Laura\u00a0Betz<\/strong> \u2013 laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a>, Rob Gutro<\/strong> \u2013 rob.gutro@nasa.gov<\/a> Margaret Carruthers<\/strong>\u00a0mcarruthers@stsci.edu<\/a>, Christine Pulliam<\/strong> \u2013 cpulliam@stsci.edu<\/a> What is an Exoplanet?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n VIDEO: How do we learn about a planets Atmosphere?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 55 Cancri e exoplanet and 55 Cancri system simulated in 3d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Webb\u2019s Impact on Exoplanet Research<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n More Webb News<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/latestnews\/<\/p>\n More Webb Images<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/multimedia\/images\/<\/p>\n Webb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/<\/p>\n What is a exoplanet?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n What is the Webb Telescope?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n SpacePlace for Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Para Ni\u00f1os<\/strong> : Qu\u00e9 es una exoplaneta?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Ciencia de la NASA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n NASA en espa\u00f1ol\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Space Place\u00a0para ni\u00f1os<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nSuper-Hot Super-Earth 55 Cancri e<\/h2>\n
Image: Super-Earth Exoplanet 55 Cancri e (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Measuring Subtle Variations in Infrared Colors<\/h2>\n
Image: Super-Earth Exoplanet 55 Cancri e (MIRI Secondary Eclipse Light Curve)<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Cooler than Expected<\/h2>\n
Image: Super-Earth Exoplanet 55 Cancri e (NIRCam + MIRI Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Bubbling Magma Ocean<\/h2>\n
Downloads<\/h2>\n
Download full resolution images for this article<\/a><\/strong> from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
The research results are published in Nature<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\nMedia Contacts<\/h2>\n
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.<\/p>\n
Space Telescope Science Institute<\/a>, Baltimore, Md.<\/p>\nRelated Information<\/h2>\n
Related For Kids<\/h2>\n
En Espa\u00f1ol<\/h2>\n
Related Topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n