All articles tagged with #magma ocean
Astronomers report the discovery of L 98-59 d, a distant exoplanet with a global magma ocean and a dense sulfur-rich atmosphere, whose extreme geology challenges current planetary classifications and suggests more diverse worlds await discovery as next-generation telescopes come online.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope detected signs of a relatively thick atmosphere around TOI-561 b, an ultra-hot, short-period rocky planet likely with a magma ocean. The planet’s dayside is cooler than a bare rock would be, indicating heat is redistributed by a volatile-rich atmosphere—potentially with water vapor and silicate clouds—challenging expectations that such extreme worlds would lose their atmospheres. The atmosphere may also help explain TOI-561 b’s lower-than-expected density, suggesting a recycling system between the magma ocean and the atmosphere and classifying the world as a “wet lava world.”
Scientists identify L 98–59 d as a 2,700°F lava world about 35 light-years away, likely with a magma ocean and sulfur-rich atmosphere, challenging simple planet classifications and offering clues about rocky planet formation—though it’s not life-hosting.
Scientists using JWST have identified L 98-59 d, a 1.6× Earth-radius exoplanet 35 light-years away with a global magma ocean that stores sulfur, producing a sulfur-rich atmosphere including hydrogen sulfide; its low density and molten interior challenge existing small-planet categories. Computer models trace its five-billion-year evolution from a volatile-rich world that cooled and shrank while preserving sulfur, implying more exotic planet types exist—though the planet is unlikely to host life.
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope and ground facilities have identified L 98-59 d as a new exoplanet with a sulfur-rich atmosphere and a semi-molten magma-ocean interior, a world that is unusually low in density for its size and unlike previously known rocky or watery planets. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests a broader diversity of planet types and raises questions about other exotic, pungent planets, though the conditions are unlikely to support Earth-like life.
Space-based and ground observations reveal L 98-59 d as a 1.6× Earth's size exoplanet with a global magma ocean and a sulfur-rich atmosphere likely dominated by hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, suggesting it formed from a larger sub-Neptune and cooled over billions of years. This lava-world represents a new class of planets and highlights the surprising diversity of worlds beyond our solar system.
New JWST observations and simulations identify L98-59d as a 1.6 Earth-radius exoplanet with a global magma ocean, a molten core, surface temperatures near 1900°C, and a hydrogen-sulfide atmosphere shaped by strong tidal forces; this suggests molten planets may be more common than thought and that some planets in the habitable zone might not be habitable after all.
New observations from the JWST reveal that the rocky exoplanet TOI-561 b, despite its extreme proximity to its star, retains a volatile-rich atmosphere and is likely covered by a global magma ocean, challenging previous assumptions about such 'dead rock' planets.
A new study reveals that the ancient exoplanet TOI-561 b, despite its extreme proximity to its star and high temperatures, has retained a thick atmosphere, challenging previous assumptions about hot, rocky planets and suggesting complex interactions between its surface and atmosphere. The planet's unique characteristics, including its low density and potential volcanic activity, are being studied using JWST data, providing new insights into planetary evolution in the early universe.
A new study suggests that the two massive structures beneath Earth's surface, known as LLSVPs, are remnants of the planet's early magma ocean, formed by chemical interactions with the core during Earth's formation, which could reshape our understanding of Earth's deep interior and its habitability.
Scientists using NASA's Juno data have found that Jupiter's moon Io is emitting hundreds of times more heat than previously estimated, mainly from localized volcanic sources, challenging the idea of a global magma ocean beneath its surface. This new understanding results from analyzing different infrared spectral data, revealing that Io's volcanoes have hot outer rings and cooler centers, which significantly increases the estimated heat flux. The findings suggest that previous models based solely on certain infrared bands may have underestimated Io's thermal output, but do not definitively rule out the existence of a magma ocean. Future missions may provide more detailed insights into Io's intense volcanism.
Scientists have discovered that a significant portion of Earth's missing nitrogen is likely stored in its core, having been sequestered during the planet's early magma ocean phase due to nitrogen's strong affinity for iron under high pressure, which explains the low nitrogen levels in Earth's mantle and helps understand planetary formation and habitability.
Scientists have used advanced computer modeling to simulate Earth's first days, revealing that the planet's mantle retained a molten, magma ocean for hundreds of millions of years, leaving chemical and seismic signatures that inform our understanding of Earth's formation and evolution, and providing insights applicable to other rocky planets.
Recent NASA Juno spacecraft data suggest that Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon, does not have a shallow magma ocean as previously thought, challenging existing theories about its intense volcanism driven by tidal heating, and raising questions about the internal structures of other tidally heated moons like Europa and Enceladus.
New research suggests that the mysterious D" layer deep within Earth may have formed from an ancient magma ocean, influenced by water, which led to the creation of iron-magnesium peroxide. This iron-rich phase could explain the layer's unevenness and the presence of ultra-low velocity zones, providing insights into Earth's early history and internal structure.