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science1d ago
James Webb telescope uncovers a new mystery: A broiling 'hell planet' with an atmosphere that shouldn't exist
- JWST observations show TOI-561 b has a thicker atmosphere than expected for a planet this close to its star.
- The planet TOI-561 b orbits its star every 11 hours and is tidally locked.
- The dayside temperature was around 2,700°C (4,900°F) for a bare rock, but measurements show about 1,800°C (3,200°F).
- Researchers conclude the planet has a thick, volatile-rich atmosphere to explain the observations.
- The discovery was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and involved multiple leading astronomers.
- The study aims to understand how atmospheres form and persist under extreme stellar radiation.
- TOI-561 b orbits a very old, iron-poor star in the thick disk of the Milky Way.
- Atmospheric models suggest clouds of silicates could reflect starlight and influence observed infrared signals.
- The findings may reshape how scientists search for and study exoplanet atmospheres.
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