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Briefing: Webb Telescope spots “impossible” atmosphere on ancient super Earth
Strategic angle: Astronomers have uncovered surprising evidence of a thick atmosphere surrounding TOI-561 b, a scorching, fast-orbiting rocky planet once thought too extreme to hold onto any gas.
editorial-staff
1 min read
Updated 20 days ago
TOI-561 b, a super Earth located in a close orbit to its star, has been found to possess a thick atmosphere, challenging previous assumptions about its capacity to hold gases.
This discovery was made using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which provides advanced observational capabilities for exoplanetary studies.
The findings suggest that atmospheric retention mechanisms may be more complex than previously understood, indicating potential implications for the study of rocky planets in extreme environments.