Thanks to the James Webb telescope, astronomers made a groundbreaking discovery of a hot lava planet made of diamond that developed a second atmosphere after its original atmosphere was destroyed by the host star. This planet, known as 55 Cancri e, is located approximately 41 light-years from the solar system. It is nearly twice as wide as Earth and nine times more massive, belonging to the super-Earth group of exoplanets.
The dense composition of 55 Cancri e leads astronomers to hypothesize that it is mainly made of compressed carbon into diamond. The planet orbits its host star, 55 Cancri A, at a distance of 2.3 km, completing one revolution in just 17 Earth hours with a surface temperature of about 2,400 degrees Celsius. Radiation from the host star caused the planet to lose its original atmosphere, but recent research published in Nature revealed the development of a thick gas layer around the planet, indicating a second atmosphere.
The initial atmosphere of 55 Cancri e consisted mainly of hydrogen and helium, but further examination using the James Webb Space Telescope ruled out the possibility of a hot lava world. Instead, the planet likely developed a second atmosphere from gas escaping from its rocky interior due to its proximity to the host star. This atmospheric phenomenon is supported by models showing large amounts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
This groundbreaking discovery provides valuable insights into the formation and evolution of exoplanets in close proximity to their host stars. The dense composition and unique atmospheric developments of 55 Cancri e contribute to our understanding of planetary systems beyond our own.