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Coldest Lava Exoplanet HD 3167 b May Hold an Atmosphere, JWST Study Finds
Key Takeaways
- JWST was used to observe HD 3167 b, an Earth-sized lava world about 154 light-years away that orbits a K-type star in roughly 0.96 Earth days.
- The planet has a radius about 1.6 times Earth's and a mass about 4.8 times Earth's.
- Hotter lava worlds are known to have atmospheres formed by vaporized surface material, while colder lava worlds have generally been found to lack atmospheres.
- Using secondary eclipse observations, researchers found HD 3167 b's surface is much cooler than previously hypothesized, possibly because dayside heat is redistributed to the night side.
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DT Editorial Team··via universetoday.com