NASA Confirms Rare Atmosphere on Exoplanet '55 Cancri e' Among 5,573 Known Worlds

Rahul Somvanshi Rahul Somvanshi

Situated 38.78 light-years away, this super-Earth is enveloped in gases unusual for its kind.

[{"selector":"#anim-ff1b9069-41b7-4b4b-a7a3-dc5172018a5a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4e0bbdc4-b311-4354-b900-aef54fd09d9f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73f0f485-837f-4fe4-a3ff-9fa72f520ff7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d54f0c42-0d04-4f97-a44a-585ccf00d076","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-56f3dbcd-a5e9-4070-abaa-04e6f62fcbb3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -185.41063%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google

Its proximity to its star heats '55 Cancri e' to extreme temperatures, challenging notions of habitability.

[{"selector":"#anim-7e155398-5d6e-40c4-b58f-4e3ff2e1562b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-68d8c981-88ce-4c2f-a2c4-38222f67d425","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(99.73047%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-03a52022-ca97-49b4-9ced-ef8570e80373","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e2816790-cbc6-4b73-9dd4-1ec0d4880172","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-908ff5fa-2438-4d86-9b13-1654fe6cbbe4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e9d36b1-9fc5-4af6-ba2e-cfcadc1c9ffd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google

An ocean of magma thought to cover '55 Cancri e' is shrouded in a mysterious gaseous layer.

[{"selector":"#anim-ecc7516f-6740-4c51-baf8-6a07117a5c8e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6b52e49b-67f9-4e5e-a9b8-f281c9af7b17","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-98.11321%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0acf6b34-ffdc-44f2-bf83-dbf65567f144","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0beecc3b-b6ea-4bfc-9d84-0e4d972bf2ef","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-152f8caf-9b31-4942-bd3c-1723b5a362fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e9356d34-07f5-4307-9371-87ffe185c056","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google

Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have been detected in its atmosphere by JWST’s precise instruments.

[{"selector":"#anim-639dbc6d-3d6c-4bd7-8d46-22bfe6f67b38","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25e3cd9a-b1f4-445c-a15d-0d737264c8cc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -168.68685%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6d9a6d8a-7ccd-49a5-bfa0-8ce5ab7fc8a7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-27e79d93-fc7e-4df9-ab83-bae47e35cc33","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe825b74-5829-4b20-8201-e9691f32525d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google

The exoplanet's extreme conditions raise intriguing questions about the survival of atmospheres.

[{"selector":"#anim-3ae933d1-2f92-45e6-8838-98e1491d9de4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e66a7a2-a5db-48d6-80ac-58091f536442","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0282702e-e2a5-4a5d-8a11-f309e3dd343f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(99.73047%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4aec752-605c-4858-b834-f7cd87de55d4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f2a726fa-c38b-4e2d-8cab-4722a59fdc4d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-692961dd-abef-4afd-bd09-4af87acf61c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google

Scientists speculate on the transformation of its original hydrogen and helium-based atmosphere.

[{"selector":"#anim-d13e65b8-4f40-4f30-a9bb-8a00d3d626b8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6f08307-b100-4ef4-96b8-360a19a82f6b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-365ed6f4-d4c2-4c1c-8a06-35772c1fb840","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-98.11321%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cc81e211-eec9-4ffe-b2e5-a2a5b71ba9cc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e79f4ec0-45bd-4e7c-976a-19d1497c965a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-db3f159a-4a88-49ad-97c7-2d12a1235d4e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google

The study of '55 Cancri e' could unlock secrets of Earth’s own tumultuous past.

[{"selector":"#anim-713a13d9-f293-4036-b8b0-f0394eee27d3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-059d3183-1f1c-4161-a7d9-f91d4de34634","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -214.21184%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-277fe46c-77d0-4763-840f-99a16a6c5c9f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c5e1aadc-ab1e-460b-a23a-625255f70803","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-86c513b5-ed6b-4122-877d-0ddac19c077d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google

This rare atmospheric detection offers a new perspective on what makes a planet potentially habitable.

[{"selector":"#anim-6d0d91b9-fa5a-4d44-8d46-b6e4b3d572d8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6914039e-cf39-4bf2-a23b-5bf2220f7dbe","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-def34c23-aaf3-4c3c-83e9-da632f8aa1e1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(99.19138%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d1b32e41-a657-4c66-8bd6-c484ba51ed92","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e9fcacf1-d23f-4b0f-970a-81e5ce679fea","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e64749f1-8b81-499f-9a01-0544ab2b2ce5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google