James Webb Space Telescope detects mineral clouds on rocky lava exoplanet

The James Webb Space Telescope has observed vaporized silicate mineral clouds surrounding the rocky lava planet TOI-561 b, Phys.org Space reported. Astronomers previously believed that the planet was too extreme to maintain an atmosphere. The newly detected atmosphere contains a reflective layer composed of the same mineral family that forms quartz and sand. [1]

Lisa Dang, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo, led the observations alongside collaborative researchers. The team used the space telescope to monitor TOI-561 b continuously for 37 hours. This observational period captured nearly four complete orbits of the planet around its host star, according to Phys.org Space. [1]

TOI-561 b belongs to a class of extreme rocky worlds known as lava planets. In our solar system, Venus is the hottest planet, featuring a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere covered by sulfuric acid clouds and a surface temperature of 737 kelvin. [1][2]