The way of water 🔵 Researchers have found evidence for the existence of a new type of planet they have called a “water world,” where water makes up a large fraction of the entire planet. These worlds, discovered in a planetary system 218 light-years away, are unlike any planets in our Solar System. In this illustration the super-Earth, Kepler-138d is in the foreground. To the right, the planet Kepler-138c, and in the background the planet Kepler 138b, seen in silhouette transiting its central star. Kepler 138 is a red dwarf star located 218 light-years away. The low density of Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d — which are nearly identical in size — means that they must be composed largely of water. They are both twice Earth’s mass but have roughly half of Earth’s density, and therefore cannot be solid rock. This is based on measurements of their mass vs. physical diameter. They are considered a new class of “water-planet,” unlike any major planet found in our solar system. Kepler-138 b is one of the smallest exoplanets known, having the mass of the planet Mars and the density of rock. 🖥️ @nasa, @europeanspaceagency, L. Hustak (@space_telescopes) #Hubble #TheWayOfWater #Exoplanet #ArtistsIllustration #Kepler138