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Certain exoplanets pique scientists\u2019 interest more than others. Some of the most interesting are those that lie in the habitable zone of their stars. However, not all of those planets would be similar to Earth \u2013 in fact, finding a planet about the size of Earth is already stretching the limits of most exoplanet-hunting telescopes. So the scientific community rejoiced when researchers at the Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al announced they found an exoplanet in the size range of the Earth. However, it appears to be almost entirely covered in water, making it more similar to a giant version of Europa, the ice-covered moon of Jupiter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot to unpack in the press release describing the discovery. The exoplanet they studied is known as LHS 1140b. It\u2019s located 48 light-years away in the constellation Cetus, making it one of the closest known exoplanets in its star\u2019s habitable zone.<\/p>\n That star, LHS 1140, is only about 20% the size of our Sun, and the energy it puts out is smaller. LHS 1140b is one of two potential exoplanets orbiting it, but until now, scientists have debated whether it was a \u201cmini-Neptune\u201d or a \u201csuper-Earth.\u201d If it were a \u201cmini-Neptune,\u201d it would be surrounded by hydrogen gas, but the researchers did not find that.<\/p>\n \n