The dynamical state can be inferred from observations of orbital period and spectral type of the host star as well as from comparing the morphology of the thermal emission phase curves of synchronously rotating planets. (haqqmisra.net)
A hard target Not everyone is convinced that 55 Cancri e is a lava world, or that the planet's phase curve from Spitzer is even valid at all. (scientificamerican.com)
Such phase curves will be potentially useful tools for characterizing planets with the next generation of space telescopes. (haqqmisra.net)