Newly Discovered Earth-Size Exoplanet Could be Covered in Volcanoes

LP 791-18 d, a newfound exoplanet about the size of Earth, may be covered in active volcanoes that could sustain an atmosphere, according to a new study. The planet is tidally locked, meaning the same side always faces its star, but the amount of volcanic activity occurring all over the planet could allow water to condense on the night side. LP 791-18 d is likely too volcanically active to host life as we know it, but it is an inviting target for astrobiologists and researchers interested in exoplanet atmospheres.