Rocky exoplanets, often called “magma worlds,” may hold answers to some of astronomy’s most profound questions about how planets form and whether life exists beyond Earth. NASA Hubble Fellowship Program Sagan Fellow Margaret Thompson discusses her work at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Earth and Planets Laboratory, where she combines laboratory experiments with advanced modeling to better understand the chemistry of these extreme planets.
Thompson’s research investigates how the interiors and atmospheres of rocky exoplanets interact, how elements essential to life circulate between them and how telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope are helping scientists study these worlds in greater detail than ever before. Her work also connects the study of exoplanets to familiar materials in our own solar system, such as asteroids and meteorites, offering new insights into the origins and diversity of planetary systems.
