Photo: Mysterious "Super Earth" Is Smallest Known Exoplanet?



Earth (top) appears tiny next to the newfound terrestrial exoplanet GJ 436c (bottom) in an artist's rendering.

The so-called super-Earth is believed to orbit a red dwarf star about 30 light-years away in the constellation Leo. If confirmed, the planet will be among the smallest known and the first found by looking for its effect on a neighboring world.

Image courtesy CSIC


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