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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

55 Cancri e

55 Cancri e
55 Cancri e This artist's impression shows the super-Earth 55 Cancri e in front of its parent star. 55 Cancri e is about 40 light-years away and orbits a star slightly smaller, cooler and less-bright than our Sun. As the planet is so close to its parent star, one year lasts only 18 hours. It is tidally locked, and the temperature has been measured as 2,700 kelvins on the dayside and “only” 1,400 Kelvins on the nightside. ESA / Hubble, M. Kornmesser