Diamond planet was stripped of its atmosphere but regenerated a new one

Simulation of planet 55 Cancri e and its central star.

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

This planet is classified as a "super-Earth," with a diameter nearly twice that of Earth, while its mass is nine times that of 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).

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

The planet's extremely close proximity to its central star results in surface temperatures reaching 2,400 degrees Celsius.

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

However, new research has discovered that the planet still has an atmosphere surrounding it.

Thanks to the James Webb telescope, researchers discovered that 55 Cancri e possesses a thick atmosphere composed of carbon dioxide ( _CO2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO), but their proportions are unknown. In contrast, Earth's atmosphere is composed 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 its central star. The mechanism that allowed the planet to create this new atmosphere is currently unknown.

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