GJ 1214b, shown in this artist's view, is a super-Earth orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth. New observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope show that it is a waterworld enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere. GJ 1214b represents a new type of planet, like nothing seen in the Solar System or any other planetary system currently known.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Aguilar (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Note: For more information, see Hubble Reveals a New Class of Extrasolar Planet [heic1204].
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