First rocky planet found outside solar system

It now wont be long before they discover a planet that is very similar to Earth !

MSNBC
One of the smallest exoplanets yet discovered has just been confirmed as a rocky world, scientists announced.

The planet, called CoRoT-7b, is the first planet beyond our solar system with a proven density similar to Earth's, astronomers say. Most known exoplanets are large gas giants like Jupiter.

"We have indications that other exoplanets could be rocky, but it's the first time that the density of such a planet has been measured," said study team member Claire Moutou of the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille in France. "We are really sure it's rocky."

Though its terrestrial surface renders CoRoT-7b more similar to Earth than many other exoplanets are, it's still a far cry from a familiar setting. The planet orbits extremely close to its star — about 1.6 million miles (2.5 million kilometers), or 23 times closer than Mercury is to the sun. At this range, the planet's surface temperatures are scorching, with highs above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius) on the star-facing side.

CoRoT-7b's close proximity to its star means that the planet is likely to be tidally locked, with one side always facing its sun and the other side always in darkness.

"Probably the day side is very hot and is pure lava, boiling, and the other side probably is very cold, and it could be rocky with some mountains," Moutou told SPACE.com. "It's not possible that there is liquid water."

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