<\/p>\n
Researchers using NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope have detected the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere on a rocky planet outside our solar system, as NASA leads the world in exploring the universe from the Moon to Mars and beyond. Observations of the ultra-hot super-Earth TOI-561 b suggest that the exoplanet<\/a> is surrounded by a thick blanket of gases above a global magma ocean. The results help explain the planet\u2019s unusually low density and challenge the prevailing wisdom that relatively small planets so close to their stars are not able to sustain atmospheres. \u00a0<\/p>\nImage A: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b and Its Star (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nThis artist\u2019s concept shows what the hot super-Earth exoplanet TOI-561 b and its star could look like based on observations from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories. Webb data suggests that the planet is surrounded by a thick atmosphere above a magma ocean.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWith a radius roughly 1.4 times Earth\u2019s, and an orbital period less than 11 hours, TOI-561 b<\/a> falls into a rare class of objects known as ultra-short period exoplanets. Although its host star is only slightly smaller and cooler than the Sun, TOI-561 b orbits so close to the star \u2014 less than one million miles (one-fortieth the distance between Mercury and the Sun) \u2014 that it must be tidally locked<\/a>, with the temperature of its permanent dayside far exceeding the melting temperature of typical rock.<\/p>\n\u201cWhat really sets this planet apart is its anomalously low density,\u201d said\u00a0 Johanna Teske, staff scientist at Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory and lead author on a paper published Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s not a super-puff<\/a>, but it is less dense than you would expect if it had an Earth-like composition.\u201d<\/p>\nImage B: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn artist\u2019s concept shows what a thick atmosphere above a vast magma ocean on exoplanet TOI-561 b could look like. Measurements captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope suggest that in spite of the intense radiation it receives from its star, TOI-561 b is not a bare rock.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOne explanation the team considered for the planet\u2019s low density was that it could have a relatively small iron core and a mantle made of rock that is not as dense as rock within Earth. Teske notes that this could make sense: \u201cTOI-561 b is distinct among ultra-short period planets in that it orbits a very old (twice as old as the Sun), iron-poor star in a region of the Milky Way known as the thick disk<\/a>. It must have formed in a very different chemical environment from the planets in our own solar system.\u201d The planet\u2019s composition could be representative of planets that formed when the universe was relatively young.\u00a0<\/p>\nBut an exotic composition can\u2019t explain everything. The team also suspected that TOI-561 b might be surrounded by a thick atmosphere that makes it look larger than it actually is. Although small planets that have spent billions of years baking in blazing stellar radiation are not expected to have atmospheres, some<\/a> show signs that they are not just bare rock or lava.\u00a0<\/p>\nTo test the hypothesis that TOI-561 b has an atmosphere, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to measure the planet\u2019s dayside temperature based on its near-infrared brightness. The technique, which involves measuring the decrease in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet moves behind the star, is similar to that used to search for atmospheres in the TRAPPIST-1 system<\/a> and on other rocky worlds<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nIf TOI-561 b is a bare rock with no atmosphere to carry heat around to the nightside, its dayside temperature should be approaching 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). But the NIRSpec observations<\/a> show that the planet\u2019s dayside appears to be closer to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius) \u2014 still extremely hot, but far cooler than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage C: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn emission spectrum captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope in\u00a0May 2024<\/a> shows the brightness of different wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by exoplanet TOI-561 b. Comparing the data to models suggests that the planet is surrounded by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI); Science: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory), Anjali Piette (University of Birmingham), Tim Lichtenberg (Groningen), Nicole Wallack (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTo explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\nThese are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers
With a radius roughly 1.4 times Earth\u2019s, and an orbital period less than 11 hours, TOI-561 b<\/a> falls into a rare class of objects known as ultra-short period exoplanets. Although its host star is only slightly smaller and cooler than the Sun, TOI-561 b orbits so close to the star \u2014 less than one million miles (one-fortieth the distance between Mercury and the Sun) \u2014 that it must be tidally locked<\/a>, with the temperature of its permanent dayside far exceeding the melting temperature of typical rock.<\/p>\n\u201cWhat really sets this planet apart is its anomalously low density,\u201d said\u00a0 Johanna Teske, staff scientist at Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory and lead author on a paper published Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s not a super-puff<\/a>, but it is less dense than you would expect if it had an Earth-like composition.\u201d<\/p>\nImage B: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn artist\u2019s concept shows what a thick atmosphere above a vast magma ocean on exoplanet TOI-561 b could look like. Measurements captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope suggest that in spite of the intense radiation it receives from its star, TOI-561 b is not a bare rock.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOne explanation the team considered for the planet\u2019s low density was that it could have a relatively small iron core and a mantle made of rock that is not as dense as rock within Earth. Teske notes that this could make sense: \u201cTOI-561 b is distinct among ultra-short period planets in that it orbits a very old (twice as old as the Sun), iron-poor star in a region of the Milky Way known as the thick disk<\/a>. It must have formed in a very different chemical environment from the planets in our own solar system.\u201d The planet\u2019s composition could be representative of planets that formed when the universe was relatively young.\u00a0<\/p>\nBut an exotic composition can\u2019t explain everything. The team also suspected that TOI-561 b might be surrounded by a thick atmosphere that makes it look larger than it actually is. Although small planets that have spent billions of years baking in blazing stellar radiation are not expected to have atmospheres, some<\/a> show signs that they are not just bare rock or lava.\u00a0<\/p>\nTo test the hypothesis that TOI-561 b has an atmosphere, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to measure the planet\u2019s dayside temperature based on its near-infrared brightness. The technique, which involves measuring the decrease in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet moves behind the star, is similar to that used to search for atmospheres in the TRAPPIST-1 system<\/a> and on other rocky worlds<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nIf TOI-561 b is a bare rock with no atmosphere to carry heat around to the nightside, its dayside temperature should be approaching 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). But the NIRSpec observations<\/a> show that the planet\u2019s dayside appears to be closer to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius) \u2014 still extremely hot, but far cooler than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage C: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn emission spectrum captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope in\u00a0May 2024<\/a> shows the brightness of different wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by exoplanet TOI-561 b. Comparing the data to models suggests that the planet is surrounded by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI); Science: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory), Anjali Piette (University of Birmingham), Tim Lichtenberg (Groningen), Nicole Wallack (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTo explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\nThese are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers
\u201cWhat really sets this planet apart is its anomalously low density,\u201d said\u00a0 Johanna Teske, staff scientist at Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory and lead author on a paper published Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s not a super-puff<\/a>, but it is less dense than you would expect if it had an Earth-like composition.\u201d<\/p>\nImage B: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (Artist\u2019s Concept)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn artist\u2019s concept shows what a thick atmosphere above a vast magma ocean on exoplanet TOI-561 b could look like. Measurements captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope suggest that in spite of the intense radiation it receives from its star, TOI-561 b is not a bare rock.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOne explanation the team considered for the planet\u2019s low density was that it could have a relatively small iron core and a mantle made of rock that is not as dense as rock within Earth. Teske notes that this could make sense: \u201cTOI-561 b is distinct among ultra-short period planets in that it orbits a very old (twice as old as the Sun), iron-poor star in a region of the Milky Way known as the thick disk<\/a>. It must have formed in a very different chemical environment from the planets in our own solar system.\u201d The planet\u2019s composition could be representative of planets that formed when the universe was relatively young.\u00a0<\/p>\nBut an exotic composition can\u2019t explain everything. The team also suspected that TOI-561 b might be surrounded by a thick atmosphere that makes it look larger than it actually is. Although small planets that have spent billions of years baking in blazing stellar radiation are not expected to have atmospheres, some<\/a> show signs that they are not just bare rock or lava.\u00a0<\/p>\nTo test the hypothesis that TOI-561 b has an atmosphere, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to measure the planet\u2019s dayside temperature based on its near-infrared brightness. The technique, which involves measuring the decrease in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet moves behind the star, is similar to that used to search for atmospheres in the TRAPPIST-1 system<\/a> and on other rocky worlds<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nIf TOI-561 b is a bare rock with no atmosphere to carry heat around to the nightside, its dayside temperature should be approaching 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). But the NIRSpec observations<\/a> show that the planet\u2019s dayside appears to be closer to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius) \u2014 still extremely hot, but far cooler than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage C: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn emission spectrum captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope in\u00a0May 2024<\/a> shows the brightness of different wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by exoplanet TOI-561 b. Comparing the data to models suggests that the planet is surrounded by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI); Science: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory), Anjali Piette (University of Birmingham), Tim Lichtenberg (Groningen), Nicole Wallack (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTo explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\nThese are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers
One explanation the team considered for the planet\u2019s low density was that it could have a relatively small iron core and a mantle made of rock that is not as dense as rock within Earth. Teske notes that this could make sense: \u201cTOI-561 b is distinct among ultra-short period planets in that it orbits a very old (twice as old as the Sun), iron-poor star in a region of the Milky Way known as the thick disk<\/a>. It must have formed in a very different chemical environment from the planets in our own solar system.\u201d The planet\u2019s composition could be representative of planets that formed when the universe was relatively young.\u00a0<\/p>\nBut an exotic composition can\u2019t explain everything. The team also suspected that TOI-561 b might be surrounded by a thick atmosphere that makes it look larger than it actually is. Although small planets that have spent billions of years baking in blazing stellar radiation are not expected to have atmospheres, some<\/a> show signs that they are not just bare rock or lava.\u00a0<\/p>\nTo test the hypothesis that TOI-561 b has an atmosphere, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to measure the planet\u2019s dayside temperature based on its near-infrared brightness. The technique, which involves measuring the decrease in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet moves behind the star, is similar to that used to search for atmospheres in the TRAPPIST-1 system<\/a> and on other rocky worlds<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nIf TOI-561 b is a bare rock with no atmosphere to carry heat around to the nightside, its dayside temperature should be approaching 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). But the NIRSpec observations<\/a> show that the planet\u2019s dayside appears to be closer to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius) \u2014 still extremely hot, but far cooler than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage C: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn emission spectrum captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope in\u00a0May 2024<\/a> shows the brightness of different wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by exoplanet TOI-561 b. Comparing the data to models suggests that the planet is surrounded by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI); Science: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory), Anjali Piette (University of Birmingham), Tim Lichtenberg (Groningen), Nicole Wallack (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTo explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\nThese are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers
But an exotic composition can\u2019t explain everything. The team also suspected that TOI-561 b might be surrounded by a thick atmosphere that makes it look larger than it actually is. Although small planets that have spent billions of years baking in blazing stellar radiation are not expected to have atmospheres, some<\/a> show signs that they are not just bare rock or lava.\u00a0<\/p>\nTo test the hypothesis that TOI-561 b has an atmosphere, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to measure the planet\u2019s dayside temperature based on its near-infrared brightness. The technique, which involves measuring the decrease in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet moves behind the star, is similar to that used to search for atmospheres in the TRAPPIST-1 system<\/a> and on other rocky worlds<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nIf TOI-561 b is a bare rock with no atmosphere to carry heat around to the nightside, its dayside temperature should be approaching 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). But the NIRSpec observations<\/a> show that the planet\u2019s dayside appears to be closer to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius) \u2014 still extremely hot, but far cooler than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage C: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn emission spectrum captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope in\u00a0May 2024<\/a> shows the brightness of different wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by exoplanet TOI-561 b. Comparing the data to models suggests that the planet is surrounded by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI); Science: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory), Anjali Piette (University of Birmingham), Tim Lichtenberg (Groningen), Nicole Wallack (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTo explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\nThese are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers
To test the hypothesis that TOI-561 b has an atmosphere, the team used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to measure the planet\u2019s dayside temperature based on its near-infrared brightness. The technique, which involves measuring the decrease in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet moves behind the star, is similar to that used to search for atmospheres in the TRAPPIST-1 system<\/a> and on other rocky worlds<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nIf TOI-561 b is a bare rock with no atmosphere to carry heat around to the nightside, its dayside temperature should be approaching 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). But the NIRSpec observations<\/a> show that the planet\u2019s dayside appears to be closer to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius) \u2014 still extremely hot, but far cooler than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage C: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn emission spectrum captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope in\u00a0May 2024<\/a> shows the brightness of different wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by exoplanet TOI-561 b. Comparing the data to models suggests that the planet is surrounded by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI); Science: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory), Anjali Piette (University of Birmingham), Tim Lichtenberg (Groningen), Nicole Wallack (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTo explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\nThese are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers
If TOI-561 b is a bare rock with no atmosphere to carry heat around to the nightside, its dayside temperature should be approaching 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). But the NIRSpec observations<\/a> show that the planet\u2019s dayside appears to be closer to 3,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,800 degrees Celsius) \u2014 still extremely hot, but far cooler than expected.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage C: Super-Earth Exoplanet TOI-561 b (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\nAn emission spectrum captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope in\u00a0May 2024<\/a> shows the brightness of different wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by exoplanet TOI-561 b. Comparing the data to models suggests that the planet is surrounded by a volatile-rich atmosphere.<\/div>\nIllustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI); Science: Johanna Teske (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory), Anjali Piette (University of Birmingham), Tim Lichtenberg (Groningen), Nicole Wallack (Carnegie Science Earth and Planets Laboratory)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTo explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\nWhile the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\nThese are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers
To explain the results, the team considered a few different scenarios. The magma ocean could circulate some heat, but without an atmosphere, the nightside would probably be solid, limiting flow away from the dayside. A thin layer of rock vapor on the surface of the magma ocean is also possible, but on its own would likely have a much smaller cooling effect than observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations,\u201d said Anjali Piette, coauthor from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStrong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside. Gases like water vapor would absorb some wavelengths of near-infrared light emitted by the surface before they make it all the way up through the atmosphere. (The planet would look colder because the telescope detects less light.) It\u2019s also possible that there are bright silicate clouds that cool the atmosphere by reflecting starlight.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Webb observations provide compelling evidence for such an atmosphere, the question remains: How can a small planet exposed to such intense radiation can hold on to any atmosphere at all, let alone one so substantial? Some gases must be escaping to space, but perhaps not as efficiently as expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think there is an equilibrium between the magma ocean and the atmosphere. At the same time that gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior,\u201d said co-author Tim Lichtenberg from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. \u201cThis planet must be much, much more volatile-rich than Earth to explain the observations. It\u2019s really like a wet lava ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
These are the first results from Webb\u2019s General Observers