Scientists have just revealed the atmospheric conditions of super Earth, exoplanet 55 Cancri e that that marks the first time ever from an alien planet where the team used new techniques to search for extra terrestrial life beyond the solar system.

Detected by the Spitzer Space Telescope that has been in operation since 2003, infrared photographs of the distant scorching alien planet reveal extreme temperatures.

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According to Nikku Madhusudhan of the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge University, this is the first time that dramatic changes were observed from a light that was emitted by any exoplanet which is unique for a super Earth. No signature of this kind or thermal emissions or even surface activity has been detected on any super Earth prior to this discovery.

Astronomers from the University of Cambridge have analyzed this large and rocky exoplanet that spans a distance of 40 light years from our solar system. Scientists have located this alien world in the constellation of Cancer where extreme temperatures were detected from 1,800 to 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit in the last two years.

The source of this variability is still unknown according to researchers but they believe that massive amounts of dynamic volcanic activity can be driving these changes on the surface of the exoplanet.

If this theory is proven correct, that volcanic activity is the main proponent of what generates these temperature swings then 55 Cancri e most likely presents a more active volcanic system than Jupiter's moon, Io which is the most geologically active body in the solar system. This heat can be traced to hot lava as vast amounts of gas and dust cool off the planet.

The exoplanet 55 Cancri e is considered by scientists as a super Earth since it is equivalent to 10 times the mass of our planet. However, 55 Cancri e possesses around eight times the mass of Earth that measures double the diameter of our world. 

This alien world is so close to its parent star that one year of orbit around it can be completed in just 18 hours. Strong gravitational forces between the exoplanet and its star tidally lock each other, meaning only one side of the planet faces its sun, as the moon faces the Earth. It is also the innermost planet among the five known planets in the 55 Cancri system.

Scientists believe that 55 Cancri e is rich in carbon and could possibly hold vast, sprawling oceans composed of hydrocarbons that can be considered into a planet class known as "diamond planets". However, these new findings suggest that the alien world could possess lesser carbon and a highly active geological system.

This study is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Tags55 cancri e, super Earths, Exoplanets, super Earth 55 Cancri e, 55 Cancri system, earth-like planets, spitzer space telescope