By Cosmic Watchers | December 16, 2025
In the search for habitable worlds, we usually look for “Earth 2.0″—blue oceans, green land, and fluffy clouds. TOI-561 b is the opposite of that in every way. It is a Super-Earth with a surface temperature of 3,100°F (1,700°C), likely covered in a global ocean of molten lava.
According to everything we know about planetary physics, TOI-561 b should be a dead, stripped-down rock. It orbits so close to its star that the stellar wind should have blown its atmosphere away billions of years ago.
But new data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggests that this lava world is doing something incredible: it is “sweating” a new atmosphere into existence.
The “Impossible” Signal
When astronomers pointed Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) at the planet, they expected a flat line—the signature of bare rock. Instead, they found distinct absorption bumps indicating the presence of volatiles—likely carbon dioxide or massive amounts of water vapor.
“If you took Earth and moved it this close to the Sun, our atmosphere would vanish in days,” explains planetary researcher Dr. Sarah Vance. “So, seeing thick gas around TOI-561 b is like seeing a snowman survive in a furnace. It implies the planet is actively fighting back.”
The “Magma Ocean” Theory
So, where is the air coming from? The leading theory is outgassing.
The interior of TOI-561 b is under such immense tidal stress that the rock is constantly melting. This creates a “magma ocean” on the surface. As the rocks melt, trapped gases inside the minerals bubble up to the surface—similar to opening a shaken can of soda.
This creates a “Secondary Atmosphere.” Even as the star strips the top layer of air away, the lava surface below releases new gas to replace it. The planet is essentially regenerating its own sky.
Why This Changes the Search for Life
This discovery is about more than just one hot planet. It changes how we view “Rocky Super-Earths.”
If a planet this hostile can hold onto an atmosphere, it means rocky worlds are far more resilient than we thought. It opens up the possibility that planets in the “Habitable Zone” of violent red dwarf stars might also be able to survive stellar flares and keep their air—and potentially, their life.
TOI-561 b might be a hellscape, but it has just provided a heavenly hope for the durability of rocky worlds across the galaxy.
Cosmic Watchers 