The Spitzer Space Telescope has been detecting the infrared light emitted by planets in other solar systems since 2005 and other space telescopes have made similar observations. So far, however, the planets observed were gas giants but now for the first time Spitzer detected the infrared light of a super-Earth. The planet observed is 55 Cancri e, already known in a more indirect way since 2004 by analyzing the changes of light from the star 55 Cancri when the planet passed in front of it.

The analysis of these new direct observations of the planet 55 Cancri e substantially confirms the previous theories about its characteristics. Its distance from the star 55 Cancri is little more than a hundredth of the Earth from the Sun so the surface temperature on the sunny side of the planet is around 1,800 degrees Celsius (3200 degrees Fahrenheit).

The new information confirm the probable abundant presence of water which is likely in a supercritical state. In essence, despite the temperature on the surface, water and other fluids may behave in a manner more similar to liquid than gases.

Michaël Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium, the principal investigator to pursue these observations of the planet 55 Cancri, compared it to Neptune if it were moved closer to the Sun causing the boiling of its atmosphere.

These new observations of the planet 55 Cancri e didn’t lead to breakthroughs but they’re important because the analysis of new data gave results consistent with the observations made earlier in an indirect manner. In essence, it’s a confirmation of the validity of the interpretation of data obtained by different methods.

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Another reason for satisfaction is the fact that the Spitzer Space Telescope made observations of a type different from the ones it was built for. Michael Werner, a scientist of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, pointed out that the Spitzer project was conceived over forty years ago, which is well before the first extrasolar planet was detected.

The fact that over the years Spitzer has been used to observe changes in the light of stars to detect the passage of planets and then even to directly observe planets demonstrates the validity of the Spitzer Space Telescope’s project.

In 2018, unless further delays, the new James Webb Space Telescope is due to be launched. It will have extraordinarily sophisticated instruments that can better analyze the characteristics of the planet 55 Cancri e. For now we can be satisfied with the observations made by the Spitzer Space Telescope.