A much colder and bigger version of our planet, dubbed the “Super Earth,” was recently discovered in space by scientists, revolving around a nearby star.
But saying it’s bigger and colder are both huge understatements. The “Super Earth” is more than three times the size of our version, with an average temperature hovering around 238 degrees below zero.
A ‘Super Earth’ has been found orbiting a nearby star; it’s the second-closest planet discovered outside our solar system https://t.co/7nroTuYQ1h
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 14, 2018
The planet is “close” to our solar system by cosmic standards only, as its version of our sun, Barnard’s Star, is nearly 30 trillion miles away. And in a wave of creativity, scientists are calling the planet Barnard’s Star b, USA Today reported.
“After a very careful analysis, we are 99 percent confident that the planet is there,” said a statement by the study’s lead scientist, Ignasi Ribas of Spain’s Institute of Space Sciences. “We used observations from seven different instruments, spanning 20 years of measurements, making this one of the largest and most extensive data sets ever used.”
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