Astronomers discover a cold lava planet that may resemble early Earth
Astronomers have discovered HD 3167 b, a unique rocky super-Earth that maintains an atmosphere despite being a lava world orbiting very close to its star. This finding challenges existing models regarding how close-orbiting planets retain their atmospheres against stellar winds.
Why it matters
It provides new insights into the formation and survival of planetary atmospheres, helping scientists better understand the early conditions of Earth.
"We think early Earth might have looked a lot like a lava world."
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Click for next article An illustration of the newly-discovered lava world HD 3167 b. (Image credit: NASA) Copy link Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Scientists have discovered a new planet that defies all expectations. It's a lava world, but it's also cold. In fact, it's the coldest lava world we've ever seen with an atmosphere.
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