The Diamond World: 55 Cancri e Quiz

Carbon-rich interior is the correct answer. Scientists hypothesize that because the planet has a high carbon-to-oxygen ratio, the intense heat and pressure could turn much of its mass into diamond.

False. It orbits so close to its star that its surface temperature is over 4,000°F (2,200°C), making it far too hot for liquid water or life.

Super is the correct answer. It is about twice the size of Earth and has eight times Earth's mass.

Lava oceans, tidal locking, and atmosphere are correct. Observations suggest it has an atmosphere that moves heat around, though it is likely toxic and thick.

18 hours is the correct answer. It moves so fast that you would have a birthday every single day!

False. That honor belongs to 51 Pegasi b. 55 Cancri e was discovered later in 2004 using the radial velocity method.

Tidally is the correct answer. The "day side" is a constant molten ocean, while the "night side" may be solid rock (though still very hot).

Liquid Rock is the correct answer. The surface is so hot that silicate rocks melt into a flowing magma sea.

Wobble, Transit, and Heat Maps are correct. We cannot land on a planet 40 light-years away, especially one made of lava.

Twice as strong is the correct answer. Because the planet is much denser and more massive than Earth, you would feel very heavy.

True. The 55 Cancri system is a busy one, containing at least five planets in total.

Yellow is the correct answer. Unlike many exoplanets that orbit small Red Dwarfs, 55 Cancri e orbits a star very much like our own.

Thick secondary atmosphere is the correct answer. Scientists believe gases bubbling up from the magma ocean might create a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide.

Interiors, behavior, and technology are correct. We cannot mine its diamonds, but studying it tells us how rocky planets evolve in extreme heat.

False. While its host star (55 Cancri) is visible to the naked eye in the constellation Cancer, the planet itself is far too small and close to the star to be seen without advanced telescopes.

Dip is the correct answer. When the planet passes in front of the star, it blocks a tiny fraction of the light.

Modified or stripped is the correct answer. The intense radiation and heat would likely blow away a thin atmosphere like Earth's.

Carbon, Iron, and Silicon are the primary building blocks of this rocky, high-density world.

40 light-years is the correct answer. In terms of the galaxy, this is a "nearby" neighbor!

True. Although the atmosphere distributes some heat, the side facing the star remains significantly hotter due to constant direct radiation.