JWST Reveals a Star-Scorched Mercury-Like Planet That's Bigger Than Earth

JWST mid-infrared observations suggest LHS 3844b is a scorched, airless rocky world with a Mercury-like surface.

The planet likely has a basalt-like crust, very little water, and no strong evidence for active volcanism or Earth-like plate tectonics.

Researchers used MIRI data to infer the surface and geologic state of one of the smallest rocky exoplanets studied this way.

The result highlights JWST’s growing ability to assess whether nearby rocky worlds are barren, active, or potentially Earth-like.