Hell in the Universe: NASA discovered an exoplanet that burns all the time

Our universe is infinite.This means that the number of galaxies of stars and planets is so large that no matter how hard we try, it is unlikely to be possible to imagine. In addition, our horizons are limited by the observable universe. We know that beyond the solar system and the Milky Way, there are billions of galaxies and star systems around which the planets revolve. A large part of them are gas giants located near their native stars. But sometimes astronomers manage to discover worlds whose conditions resemble real hell. So, the exoplanet 55 Cancri E rotates so close to its sun-like star that it is constantly shrouded in fire, and the temperature on its surface reaches 2436 ° C. Nothing like it exists in our solar system.

Hell exists - a planet has been discovered in space that burns all the time

super earth - a class of exoplanets, the mass of which exceeds the mass of the Earth, but less than the mass of Neptune

Unknown worlds

Can we imagine worlds that turnaround other stars? In ancient times, people did not have such an opportunity, and astronomers even called the planets "wandering stars", since their speed was several times higher than the speed of movement of all other stars. Fortunately, scientists now have the tools to not only discover other star systems, but also look into the distant past to find out what the Universe was like a few seconds after the Big Bang.

Recall that the James Webb Space Telescopewill begin full-fledged work on July 12. This date was officially announced by NASA representatives, so in about a month we are expecting images and the first data collected using a powerful astronomical instrument. In the very near future, Webb will search for and study exoplanets, as well as other space objects.

Super-Hot Super-Earth 55 Cancri E burns all the time, and the temperature on the surface exceeds two thousand degrees Celsius

Interesting fact
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerfulin the world. Its high-precision spectrographs will allow scientists to learn (and then tell us) more about the geological diversity of planets across the galaxy, as well as the evolution of rocky planets like Earth. But the main questions that the new telescope will help answer are the mysterious architecture of the universe and our position in it.

Exoplanet 55 Cancri e is located in the distance50 light-years from Earth and is the so-called Super-Earth - a class of planets, the mass of which is several times greater than the Earth's and is not similar to any of the worlds known to us. The surface of this hot world is covered with lava and constantly burning, and the temperature on it can reach 2436°C.

Hell next door

As NASA astronomers found out, 55Cancri e is as close as possible to its native star. So much so that a whole year on it lasts only a few hours, and gravity keeps one hemisphere in light, and the other in endless darkness.

It is believed that at the surface temperature,far above the melting point of typical rock-forming minerals, the bright side of the Super-Earth is covered in oceans of lava and completely uninhabitable, NASA said in a statement.

Early Telescope ObservationsNASA's Spitzer showed that the new Super-Earth's hottest point doesn't directly face the star, which is rather odd. One possible reason could be "the exoplanet's dynamic heat-moving atmosphere."

So-called super-Earths have been discovered relatively recently around other stars.

In other words, her hottest spot might beshifted and takes time to warm up. And if Webb detects the atmosphere of this burning world, it will be dominated by oxygen or nitrogen, in the resulting images we will see the lava-shrouded surface of Super-Earth 55 Cancri e.

By the way, among the unusual exoplanets discovered earlier, there is a world in which it rains from liquid iron. You can read more about the device of a strange exoplanet here.

But back to Super-Earth and its scorchingtemperatures: probably its atmosphere sparkles, reflecting lava from the surface. In general, 55 Cancri E resembles our Moon - one side of it is always bright, while the other is shrouded in darkness. This Super-Earth makes a full revolution around the star in just 18 hours.

It is also interesting that 55 Cancri E can be similaron Mercury, whose rotation features set the day-night cycle. By the way, researchers have previously discovered strange and unusual worlds, which include gas, rocks, or combinations thereof. The super-Earth, whose surface is constantly on fire, is about twice the size of the Earth and 10 times its mass.

The James Webb Space Telescope will focus on studying distant worlds orbiting an infinite number of stars.

But since our solar system has neitherone planet, even remotely resembling 55 Cancri E, scientists are trying to get as much information as possible about it. So, some media have already called the new super-earth a biblical hell. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long for answers - the James Webb telescope is so sensitive that it will detect the atmosphere of this Super-Earth, or its complete absence.

See also: Is it true that astronomers caught a radio signal from an exoplanet?

Super-Earths of the Milky Way

The search for exoplanets has been going on since 1991.Then the researchers found that the two planets orbiting a neutron star had a mass of 4 Earths, which is too small for the formation of gas giants and hot Jupiters, which are found almost everywhere. Another important discovery came in 2007, when scientists discovered Super-Earths in the so-called Habitable Zone, the distance between a star and a planet necessary to maintain liquid water on the surface of exoplanets.

Over the past few years, astronomers have discovered a considerable number of exoplanets, including super-Earths.

Since rocky exoplanets can supportconditions necessary for life, astronomers pay special attention to them. Interestingly, there is not a single Super-Earth in the solar system, although they are found everywhere and have the necessary conditions to support life.

Don't Miss: Inhabitants of 75 star systems can hear our radio signals

According to available data, on the surfaceSuper-Earths may contain methane, carbon monoxide, and other hydrocarbons depending on whether the conditions are ice, gas, or liquid. The discovery of such exoplanets forced astronomers to reconsider models of planetary evolution.

Ultimately, our knowledge of galaxies, stars and planets allows us to put forward the most amazing and controversial theories that describe the structure of the cosmic ocean.

A year on a hellish Super-Earth can be 11 and 18 hours long.

Perhaps one of the Super-Earths will be habitableand the famous question of the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi "where is everyone?" finally get an answer. In the meantime, the question remains open and intelligent life outside of our planet and the solar system has not yet been discovered by anyone.

Read about what other worlds are in outer space and whether life is possible on them, read on our channel in Yandex.Zen, so you definitely won’t miss anything interesting!

Moreover, our cosmic loneliness is rathereverything will continue. In addition, the possibilities of our species are limited, and travel to distant star systems and worlds remains the lot of science fiction. And if the cosmos continues to answer us with silence, then how much space is wasted.