Topics covered:
- Awareness in space.
‘Super-Earth’ in constellation Cassiopeia
What to study?
For Prelims and Mains: About Super- Earth and Constellation Cassiopeia.
Context: Researchers have discovered a new exotic planet outside our solar system in the constellation Cassiopeia. Located 21 light years away from us, this planet, dubbed HD219134 b, has a mass almost five times that of Earth, which is considered a so-called “super-Earth”. Unlike the Earth, however, it most likely does not have a massive core of iron, but is rich in calcium and aluminium alongside magnesium and silicon.
What is a Super- Earth?
A super-Earth is an extrasolar planet with a mass higher than Earth’s, but substantially below those of the Solar System’s ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, which are 15 and 17 times Earth’s, respectively.
The term “super-Earth” refers only to the mass of the planet, and so does not imply anything about the surface conditions or habitability.
Sources: the hindu.