10 Mysterious Planets Outside the Solar System

10 Mysterious Planets Outside the Solar System

1. Kepler-186f: This is the first Earth-sized planet found in the habitable zone of a star beyond our solar system. It orbits a red dwarf star about 500 light-years from Earth and has a similar size to our planet. Its surface temperature could allow for liquid water and it's considered a good candidate for potentially hosting life.

Credits: NASA Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-Caltech

2. TRAPPIST-1e: This planet is one of seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1, which is only 40 light-years away from us. TRAPPIST-1e is in the habitable zone of the star and has a similar mass and size to Earth. It has a dense atmosphere and could have liquid water on its surface.

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3. Gliese 581g: This planet is located in the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Gliese 581, about 20 light-years away from Earth. It's five times more massive than Earth and has a rocky surface. Some astronomers believe it has a thick atmosphere and could support life.

4. Kepler-62f: This planet is about 1,200 light-years away from Earth and is part of a five-planet system orbiting the star Kepler-62. It's a little over twice the size of Earth and is located in the habitable zone of the star. It's believed to have a rocky surface and could have liquid water.

5. HD 106906 b: This planet is located about 300 light-years away from Earth and is a gas giant about 11 times more massive than Jupiter. What's unusual about it is that it orbits its star at a distance of about 650 times the distance between Earth and the Sun, which is the farthest distance a planet has ever been found orbiting its star.

6. WASP-12b: This planet is a hot Jupiter that's located about 600 light-years away from Earth. It's so close to its star that it completes an orbit in less than 24 hours. Its atmosphere is being stripped away by the star's radiation, causing it to expand and eventually be destroyed.

7. 55 Cancri e: This planet is about twice the size of Earth and is located about 40 light-years away from us. It's known as a "diamond planet" because it's believed to have a carbon-rich composition that could include diamonds.

8. Kepler-438b: This planet is about 470 light-years away from Earth and is only about 12% larger than our planet. It orbits a red dwarf star and is located in the habitable zone, although its atmosphere is likely to be very different from Earth's.

9. Kepler-452b: This planet is located about 1,400 light-years away from Earth and is about 60% larger than our planet. It's located in the habitable zone of a star similar to our Sun and has a similar orbit to Earth, leading some to call it an "Earth 2.0" candidate.

10. CoRoT-7b: This planet is located about 500 light-years away from us and is about 70% larger than Earth. It's one of the smallest exoplanets discovered to date, and it's so close to its star that its surface temperature is over 2,000 degrees Celsius. It's believed to have a rocky composition and no atmosphere.