Astronomers studying a rocky lava planet — once thought too extreme to hold any atmosphere — found signs that it has one after all. It appears wrapped in a reflective layer of clouds made of vaporized rock, the same mineral family as quartz and sand.
If a world hot enough to melt rock can still hold onto an atmosphere, then atmospheres may be far more stubborn than scientists assumed. That means the way astronomers judge which rocky planets can keep their air — a key filter in studying worlds beyond our solar system — may need updating.
✦ Even a world of molten rock can hold onto a sky of its own.