A Mega-Earth is a massive terrestrial exoplanet that is at least ten times the mass of Earth. Mega-Earths are substantially more massive than super-Earths (terrestrial and ocean planets with masses around 5–10 Earth). The term "mega-Earth" was first coined in 2014, when Kepler-10c was revealed to be a Neptune-mass planet with a density considerably greater than that of Earth.[1]
Habitability
Due to the large masses of these planets, any liquid water would be compressed into solid form regardless of the distance from the star, making these planets poor candidates for hosting life.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Sasselov, Dimitar (2 June 2014) Exoplanets: From Exhilarating to Exasperating, 22:59, Kepler-10c: The "Mega-Earth", YouTube
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL1RsvR7F78&feature=youtu.be&t=25m