Gas In Super-Earth Atmosphere Detected For The First Time

Space





Photo credit:

Artist's impression of the super-Earth 55 Cancri e. ESA/Hubble/M. Kornmesser

Thousands of planets have been found outside the Solar System, ranging from Earth-sized worlds to massive gas giants. An intermediate type of planet called a “super-Earth” has garnered significant interest, though, as it may be the most common type in the universe – and now astronomers have detected gases in the atmosphere of one of these worlds for the first time.