Light from alien planet detected
A NASA telescope has reportedly detected light from an alien planet being dubbed a "super Earth" in a world first.
Discovery News reports NASA's infrared Spitzer telescope has picked up light from an alien planet called 55 Cancri e, which orbits a star 41 light-years from Earth.
It is the first time the telescope was able to detect light from the planet and the achievement is being called an historic achievement in space exploration.
NASA headquarters' Bill Danch reportedly said in a statement that the spacecraft is "pioneering" the study of distant planets and could pave the way for further exploration on potentially habitable planets.
The planet was discovered in 2005 and is about twice the width of Earth, has eight times the mass and has a year lasting just 18 Earth hours.
Researchers say the planet is not habitable and is believed to be rocky and covered with water. It is believed to be in a supercritical fluid state and oozes.
Observations from the telescope show that a fifth of the planet is made from lighter elements including water.
"It could be very similar to Neptune, if you pulled Neptune in toward our sun and watched its atmosphere boil away," the study's principal investigator Michael Gillon said.
This artist's concept shows the super Earth planet 55 Cancri e. Image: NASA
