Volcanic ash may be affecting distant super-Earth’s temperature
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028851
Los Angeles Times : Astronomers have been surprised by the extreme variability in atmospheric temperature of 55 Cancri E, the first rocky planet found beyond our solar system. Located some 40 light-years from Earth, the planet is very hot, fluctuating in temperature between 1000 °C and 2700 °C every two years. Temperature readings may be misleading, however, according to a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Brice-Olivier Demory of the University of Cambridge and colleagues say that volcanic activity on the planet’s surface may be causing copious amounts of gas and dust to periodically blanket the planet’s thermal emission, making its atmosphere appear to be cooler than it is.
