The star GJ1214
GJ1214 is a star five times smaller than our Sun and three hundred times less bright. Located only 40 light-years away from us, it is found to be surrounded by a super-Earth planet whose interior is likely mostly made of water ice. The planet appears to be rather hot and surrounded by a thick atmosphere, which makes it inhospitable for life as we know it on Earth.
This image is based on data obtained through 2 different filters (blue and red), which were taken 7 years apart. Because the star is very close to the Earth, it has a large apparent motion on the sky, and so has moved in between the 7 years. This is why the star appears as a double coloured object in this image.
Credit:
ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2
About the Image
| Id: | eso0950b |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 16 December 2009, 19:00 |
| Related releases: | eso0950 |
| Size: | 9816 x 10685 px |
About the Object
| Name: | GJ1214 |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star |
| Distance: | 40 light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
| Optical B |
DSS |
| Optical R |
DSS |
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