The Webb Telescope has detected an "impossible" atmosphere on a hellish planet

A team of astronomers led by researchers from the Carnegie Institution has found the most compelling evidence to date of an atmosphere around the rocky exoplanet TOI-561 b. 

This is reported in a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

This planet has approximately twice the mass of Earth and orbits very close to its star—40 times closer than Mercury is to the Sun. Because of this, a year on it lasts only 10.56 hours, and one side is constantly exposed to intense radiation. The surface is likely covered in molten rock.

Previously, it was believed that such extreme conditions would prevent the planet from retaining an atmosphere. However, new observations indicate that it does indeed have a dense gaseous envelope.

The key evidence came from the temperature on the day side: instead of the expected 2,700 °C, it is approximately 1,800 °C. This indicates heat redistribution, which is only possible in the presence of an atmosphere.

Scientists speculate that the atmosphere may be rich in volatile substances, and strong winds carry heat to the planet’s night side.

At the same time, the question of how such a planet is able to retain an atmosphere under the intense radiation of its star remains open, so research continues.

Thanks to its infrared capabilities, the James Webb Space Telescope has allowed astronomers to peer through gas and dust into the center of the Milky Way.

Astronomers have discovered the Milky Way’s most distant twin in the universe using the James Webb Space Telescope.