Diamond Planet Was Stripped of Atmosphere but Regenerates New One

Simulation of planet 55 Cancri e and its central star

According to a new report published in the journal Nature, researchers said the planet analyzed is called 55 Cancri e, about 41 light years from Earth and belongs to the constellation Cancer.

This planet is classified as a "super-Earth", with a width nearly twice that of Earth, while its mass is nine times higher than Earth, Space.com quoted researcher Renyu Hu, a member of the astronomy team behind the new discovery and currently working at the California Institute of Technology (USA).

Planet 55 Cancri e is just 2.3 million kilometers from its star 55 Cancri A, taking about 17 Earth hours to complete an orbit around the star. At this distance, Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is 25 times farther from the sun than the distance between 55 Cancri e and 55 Cancri A.

The planet's close proximity to its star causes its surface temperature to reach 2,400 degrees Celsius.

Intense radiation from the central star has blasted away 55 Cancri e's original atmosphere, similar to other rocky planets that get too close to their stars.

However, new research has found that the planet still has an atmosphere.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers discovered that 55 Cancri e has a thick atmosphere made up of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) and carbon monoxide (CO), but the proportions are unknown. Meanwhile, Earth's atmosphere is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, argon and other gases.

What happened suggests that the planet successfully built a second atmosphere after its initial atmosphere was stripped away by the host star. The mechanism that allowed the planet to create a new atmosphere is not yet clear.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hanh-tinh-kim-cuong-tung-bi-tuoc-mat-khi-quyen-nhung-tai-tao-cai-moi-185240510111933339.htm