It’s Time To Retire The Super-Earth, The Most Unsupported Idea In Exoplanets [2021] - eviltoast
  • btaf45@lemmy.worldOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    1 year ago

    Here is a quick summary. Astronomers used to assume that planets as big as 2x Earth diameter could be rocky planets. But now we know that most planets bigger than 1.3 Earth diameter are mini Neptunes. Although sometimes rocky planets can get as big as 1.5 Earth diameter.

    Neptune’s diameter is about 50 megameters. Earth’s diameter is 12.7 megameters. So per the article, most planets bigger than a 16.5 megameter diameter is probably a mini Neptune. Although a rocky planet could be as big as a 19 megameter diameter.