Gliese 436
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Gliese 436 (Gl 436), is a dim 11th magnitude red dwarf star about 30 light years from Earth in the constellation of Leo. It is orbited by a low-mass planet.
Gliese 436 b
The planet, Gliese 436 b was discovered orbiting the star in 2004. It has a mass similar to Neptune's, but orbits very close to the star and may not be a small gas giant but a very massive terrestrial planet instead. It is one of the smallest extrasolar planets discovered so far. One orbit around the star takes only about 2 days 15.5 hours. The planet's surface temperature is high, but not as high as other planets in similar orbits because the star is so dim and cool.
See also
References
External links
- [Scientists discover first of a new class of extrasolar planets] – NASA Press Release (August 13, 2004)
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