Super-Earth

exoplanets · space discovery · planetary science

Heavier than Earth. Super-Earths have more mass than our home planet, but they're still way lighter than the ice giants Uranus and Neptune, which are about 14 to 17 times heavier than Earth.

Found around other stars. These planets orbit stars other than our Sun and are discovered by astronomers studying distant solar systems to understand what kinds of worlds exist in space.

Mass is the key. The term super-Earth only describes how heavy a planet is, not what it looks like or whether life could live there. A super-Earth could be rocky, icy, or gassy.

Sometimes called mini-Neptunes. Bigger super-Earths are sometimes nicknamed mini-Neptunes because they have more in common with Neptune than with Earth, even though they're smaller and lighter.

A whole category of planets. Super-Earths fill a gap between Earth-sized planets and giant planets, and scientists think many of them exist throughout the galaxy.