February 22, 2012

Artistic concept showing the planet GJ 1214b and its star (Image NASA, ESA, and D. Aguilar (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics))

The planet GJ 1214b was discovered in December 2009 using robotic observatory MEarth Project. Now an international team of astronomers led by Zachory Berta of Harvard’s Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), confirms the theory proposed in 2010 that the planet GJ 1214b is covered by water in its vapor state.