55 Cancri A is a star about forty light years away from Earth slightly smaller than the Sun. Since 1997 observations of this star led to the discovery of some planets and in 2004 the most interesting one was discovered, called 55 Cancri e.

Since its discovery, it was clear that the planet 55 Cancri e was very close to its star. Initially it even seemed that its orbital period was less than three days but later data analysis led to the conclusion that its orbital period is nearly eighteen days. This means that it’s about twenty-six times closer to its star than Mercury to the Sun, just over a hundredth of the Earth to the Sun.

Mercury is a rocky planet a lot smaller than Earth, instead 55 Cancri e has a mass nearly eight times the Earth, about half the mass of Neptune. The diameter of 55 Cancri e is about twice the Earth.

Initially, observations had scientists think that planet 55 Cancri e was a rocky planet. Given its proximity to its star, the conclusion was that it was a hellish wasteland. New observations with NASA Spitzer Space Telescope have provided interesting new information that suggests that 55 Cancri e is a world stranger than anybody imagined.

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Data received from the Spitzer Space Telescope now have scientists think that about one-fifth the mass of the planet 55 Cancri e is composed of light elements and compounds, including water. The extraordinary thing is that given the temperature and pressure existing on the surface of the planet it’s likely that various compounds are supercritical fluids.

In essence, chemicals that at certain temperatures are normally in a gaseous state, when pressure becomes very high reach a state that is liquid-like. Those supercritical fluids may even ooze from the rocks.

Considering that the surface temperature of the planet 55 Cancri e is estimated at almost 1800 degrees Celsius (3200 degrees Fahrenheit) we can’t expect to find any life forms but it’s certainly one of the strangest planets found so far.