Astronomers spot 'one in a million' super-Earth

13 May 2020

Image depicting super-earths, as in, Two super-Earths discovered orbiting a star 11 light-years away

Astronomers spot ‘one in a million’ super-Earth

Astronomers spot ‘one in a million’ super-EarthAstronomers in New Zealand have recently discovered a rare, 'one in a million' super-Earth. It is located in a star system far away, near to the centre of the Milky Way.

What do we know about this newly-discovered planet?

This newly spotted exoplanet's year lasts about 617 days. It travels around a much smaller star than our Sun.
 	In terms of size, scientists believe the planet is about four times Earth's mass (hence, it is called a 'super-Earth').

Why is this super-Earth discovery seen as "one in a million"?

This is because the researchers found the planet through a unique method.
 	They studied the way the planet and its star warped (bent) and magnified light, like a lens. This phenomenon called gravitational microlensing.
 	Massive objects warp the space around them. So, sometimes, when a telescope, a massive object and a target line up in just the right way, the massive object warps the light emitted by the target, magnifying it.

This is a very uncommon event and happens with just one in one million stars.

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Astronomers in New Zealand have recently discovered a rare, ‘one in a million’ super-Earth. It is located in a star system far away, near to […]

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