Grab a seat on our Space Scoop mothership and fasten your seatbelts, for today we are going to explore a ‘super’ world!

Located in the direction of constellation Ophiuchus, almost 48 light years away from the Solar System, lies a peculiar exoplanet known as GJ 1214 b. What makes this world super special? Let’s find out.

Astronomers have discovered more than 5000 exoplanets to date. The most common exoplanets detected range in size from Earth to Neptune. Astronomers often debate whether these planets are rocky worlds like our Earth, officially known as ‘Super-Earths’, with skies rich in Hydrogen. Or icy worlds like Neptune, known as ‘Sub-Neptunes’, surrounded by an atmosphere rich in water. 

The skies of Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes are so cloudy and thick that astronomers often find it quite challenging to study what lies underneath these layers. “We love to make difficult puzzles for the earthlings, it is way more fun this way”, comments one of the exoplanets.

An international team of researchers began to look for cloudy nearby exoplanets to study the true nature of these worlds — they found GJ 1214 b to be an ideal candidate. Using the superpowers of the James Webb Space Telescope, the team began to study the cloudy sky of this exoplanet looking to find possible traces of hydrogen or water. 

To their surprise, all of the studies showed that the sky of GJ 1214 b is rich in carbon dioxide, just like the atmosphere of Venus. Does this mean that there may be a new type of exoplanet apart from Super Earths and Sub-Neptunes - like a Super-Venus? Only detailed future studies will tell.

Image: Artist’s impression of GJ 1214 b passing in front of its host star. Credits: NAOJ