Astronomers have discovered a “super-Earth” that could be covered in jade and emerald due to its calcium and aluminum-rich core.
Named HD219134 b, this exoplanet is located in the Cassiopeia constellation, 21 light-years away from Earth. Astronomers suggest that, unlike Earth, HD219134 b, often referred to as a “super-Earth,” doesn’t have a massive iron core but is abundant in calcium and aluminum, making it rich in gemstones.
With a size almost five times that of Earth, HD219134 b has a year that’s only three days long on our planet.
“With a mass nearly five times that of Earth, HD219134 b is referred to as a ‘super-Earth.’ The star shines like a pink and green gem due to the abundance of aluminum oxide,” said astrophysicist Caroline Dorn in the MNRAS journal.
HD219134 b might belong to a new class of peculiar planets. According to the formation theory, stars like the Sun are surrounded by gas and dust disks. Planets with Earth-like structures are formed from solid objects left behind after the dispersal of the cold gas disk. These core building blocks accumulate in the outer regions of gas disks.
Astrophysicist Caroline Dorn explains that these core building blocks are usually created in regions rich in the necessary elements to form rocks like magnesium, silicon, and iron. Consequently, planets often have solid cores similar to Earth’s. However, in regions closer to stars, it’s hotter. Researchers believe this process gives rise to an entirely new type of planet, one where calcium, aluminum, magnesium, and silicon are the main components, but iron is virtually absent.
Prior to this discovery, astronomers also found another “diamond in the sky,” which is planet 55 Cancri e. This planet is twice the radius and eight times the mass of Earth. While Earth’s surface is covered in water and granite, 55 Cancri e is covered in diamond and graphite.
It orbits a sun-like star and is located 40 light-years away from Earth but can be observed with the naked eye in the Cancer constellation.