Key findings:
- The star, known as HD110067, is located approximately 100 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices and is about 20% less massive than our Sun.
- The six planets were detected by observing minute dimming of the star's brightness as each planet transited, or passed in front of, the star from our perspective on Earth
- The orbital resonance of these planets, i.e., their orbits, is synchronised in such a way that they have remained stable for about 4 billion years.
About sub-Neptune planets:
- These are the most commonly observed types of planets in our galaxy.
- They could be rocky worlds with thick atmospheres of hydrogen and helium gas, or perhaps composed of rock and ice with warm, water-rich atmospheres.
- These planets have radii between those of the Earth and Neptune.
Key points about Neptune
- It's the last of the planets in our solar system.
- It's more than 30 times as far from the sun as Earth is.
- Neptune is very similar to Uranus. It's made of a thick fog of water, ammonia, and methane over an earth-sized solid centre.
- Its atmosphere is made of hydrogen, helium, and methane.
- Structure and Surface
- Neptune is encircled by six rings and is an ice giant.
- It is made of a thick soup of water, ammonia, and methane flowing over a solid core about the size of Earth.
- It has a thick, windy atmosphere.
- Time on Neptune
- One day on Neptune goes by in 16 hours.
- Neptune has such a long journey around the sun that it takes 165 Earth years to go around once.
