This is the “Holy Grail” of exoplanet research: finding an Earth-like planet, maybe an Earth twin – or at least a cousin. Super-Earths are a class of planets that may include such a planetary sibling. Super-Earths – a class of planets unlike any in our solar system – are more …

Neptune-mass worlds may be the most common type of planet to form in the icy, outer realms of planetary systems. Neptunian exoplanets are similar in size to Neptune or Uranus in our solar system. (Neptune is about four times the size, or radius, of Earth and almost 17 times its …

Welcome to paradise! These rocky planets are covered with a huge ocean, interrupted by archipelagos of island chains that dot the planet’s surface. According to one hypothesis, super-Earths of about two Earth masses may be conducive to life. The higher surface gravity would lead to a thicker atmosphere, increased surface …

HIGHLIGHTS A thick diamond crustbelow a black graphite surface. Very hot surface temperature. A brightly coloured sky above a thick black fog. Volcanoes spew diamonds. Bright aurorae at poles. Yes, you read right. A planet made of diamond! Dig through its black carbon crust and you’ll hit a thick layer …

You are floating through a thick fog of glitter, ever so slowly falling toward the planet’s center. The entire planet is basically a spherical cloud of salt crystals. There is nothing resembling solid ground. Also called super-puff planets, styrofoam planets, or low-density planets are the size of gas giants, but …

Bundle up for a trip to the big chill. If you like cold winters, this place is for you. These freezing, rocky worlds are permanently covered by a thick sheet of ice.  Ice Worlds come in various levels of iciness. Some are frozen nearly all the way through to their …

Bring a warm jacket and a flashlight: this cosmic nomad is not orbiting a star but is floating through space in complete darkness, all by itself. Time has lost all meaning here. It is always night on a rogue planet, and it is always winter. How is it possible that …

HIGHLIGHTS The surface of the planetis covered in lava. It may even rain sand, glass, or lava! There may be active volcanoes. The floor is lava! In fact, there’s lava everywhere you look. The planet’s surface is covered in bubbling, molten rock that flows across the red-hot ground. Watch your step… …

“Arrakis. Dune. Desert planet.” You may have heard this line in the movie Dune, but desert worlds are more than science fiction. In fact, they could be very common among terrestrial exoplanets.   These arid worlds are very, very dry. They are either completely devoid of water or, similar to the …

HIGHLIGHTS Ocean Worlds are completely covered in water. The oceans may be hundreds of thousands of kilometers deep. They are likely to have an atmosphere. They are most likely to have an abundance of life. Put on your swimsuit! We are going for a dive on an Ocean World. This …