TENERIFE, Spain — A "super-Earth" orbiting a red dwarf star has been discovered only 36 light years from Earth in the constellation of Serpens, according to a study published in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.<br /><br />In a February 18 preprint version of the study available on the arXiv server, the planet's temperature is estimated to be around 556 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />Known as GJ 740 b, the planet has a mass believed to be around three times that of Earth and a radius 1.4 times that of Earth's. This would make it only slightly smaller than Neptune.<br /><br />The "super-Earth" orbits its star, known as GJ 740, in just 2.4 days. Its mass and orbital period suggest it is a rocky planet.<br /><br />The data indicate a second planet may be orbiting the same star. It is believed to have a similar mass to Saturn and an orbital period estimated to be nine years.
