Hubble studies 'super-Earth' atmosphere for first time

The exoplanet, known as 55 Cancri e, orbits blisteringly close to its planet star, exhibiting temperatures of more than 1,700 degrees Celsius. Astronomers had thought it would lose most of its atmosphere due to the intense radiation of its parent star. But data from the Hubble space telescope shows the planet is surrounded by an atmosphere mostly made up of hydrogen and helium like a gas giant, such as Jupiter or Saturn.