JWST finds scorching lava planet TOI-561 b with a reflective 'sunscreen'

The James Webb Space Telescope observed the rocky exoplanet TOI-561 b, 280 light-years away, over 37 hours and nearly four orbits, finding it reflects about 75% of its star's light. Researchers attribute this to a layer of silicate clouds and a substantial atmosphere possibly fed by a global ocean of molten rock.

• TOI-561 b reflects ~75% of starlight, comparable to Venus
• JWST monitored the planet for 37 hours across nearly four orbits
• Atmosphere may be CO2 or volcanic SO2, composition still unknown
• The planet lies about 280 light-years from Earth