Webb Telescope’s Breakthrough: First Atmospheric Discovery on a Rocky Super-Earth

Gas bubbling up from a lava-covered surface on the exoplanet 55 Cancri e may feed an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide.

Located a mere 41 light years from Earth, the exoplanet 55 Cancri e is so intensely hot that scientists once doubted its ability to sustain an atmosphere. However, a recent study conducted by a national team of scientists suggests 55 Cancri e may be the first rocky exoplanet confirmed to have an atmosphere.