Lava planets keep atmospheres

Infrared eclipse observations from the James Webb Space Telescope show HD 3167 b—a super‑Earth lava world—was cooler than a bare‑rock model predicts, implying heat redistribution by an atmosphere. This joins several other ultra‑hot rocky planets that unexpectedly retain atmospheres, suggesting a recurrent pattern rather than a one‑off anomaly. — If ultra‑hot rocky planets commonly hold atmospheres of heavier gases (CO2, CO, H2O), that changes theories of atmospheric formation, loss, and the prioritization of exoplanets in the search for conditions relevant to habitability.