Largest 'super-Earth' ever discovered, 200 light years away

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Hunter (TESS) telescope has discovered the largest 'super-Earth' ever seen, 200 light-years away, dubbed TOI-1075b.

TOI-1075b is the largest "super-Earth" exoplanet found to date, with a mass 9.95 times that of Earth . This means that if a human were on the planet's surface, their weight would increase to three times that of Earth.

Astronomers believe the exoplanet is likely rocky, like Mercury, Earth, Mars and Venus.

Based on how much the star's light has dimmed and TESS data, it is possible to know that TOI-1075 has an exoplanet orbiting it, with an orbital period of about 14.5 hours and a radius 1.72 times that of Earth, in an orbital period of about 14.5 hours.

Astronomers predict that TOI-1075b has a density of 9.32 grams per cubic centimeter (nearly twice that of Earth, 5.51 grams per cubic centimeter). The equilibrium temperature of TOI-1075b is hot enough to melt rock at the surface and cause magma to vaporize on the surface, forming a metallic/silicate vapor atmosphere.

Astronomers will use the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe the atmosphere of this exoplanet, helping to determine whether TOI-1075b has a thin atmosphere, a silicate atmosphere, or no atmosphere at all. From there, we will learn about the formation and evolution of the planet.