First Super-Earth Atmosphere Detected

55 Cancri-e was once touted as one of the most exotic exo-planets ever discovered. Mass and radius modelling led some astronomers to speculate that its interior could be rich in carbon. And that much carbon crushed together under extreme pressure = diamonds. That's how it got its nickname "Diamond Planet." But 55 Cancri-e--now named "Janssen" (Thank you International Astronomical Union!)--is even more exotic with the recent discovery of an atmosphere. A February 7th research paper in the Astroph...