Super Earths Are Common Beyond Our Solar System, New Study Reveals

April 27, 2025 — In a groundbreaking discovery, an international team of astronomers led by Weicheng Zang from the Center for Astrophysics . Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) has announced the identification of a “Super Earth” — a planet twice the size of Earth — located farther from its star than Saturn is from the Sun. Published in the journal Science on April 25, 2025, this finding reshapes our understanding of planetary systems across the Milky Way.

KMTNet Microlensing Survey Yields Major Breakthrough

The discovery was made using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), the largest microlensing survey to date. This method, which detects distant planets through the gravitational lensing effect of their mass on background stars, enabled scientists to identify a vast number of previously unseen exoplanets.

Researchers found that many planetary systems host Super Earths — planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune — in orbits beyond what is typically observed in our solar system. Compared to earlier microlensing surveys, this new data reveals three times more planets, including ones up to eight times smaller than those previously detected.

Diverse Planetary Systems Beyond Earth’s Model

The study suggests that other planetary systems may have a more diverse distribution of planets around their stars, including a variety of small, medium, and large worlds even beyond Earth’s orbital distance. Jennifer Yee, a researcher involved in the study, noted that Super Earths could be far more prevalent in outer planetary systems than previously assumed.

KMTNet’s network of three strategically placed telescopes in South Africa, Chile, and Australia has been instrumental in gathering this groundbreaking data, providing new insights into planet formation and evolution.

Implications for Future Research and Understanding of Exoplanets

The findings highlight the possibility that planetary systems with Jupiter-like outer planets may differ significantly from our solar system’s structure. Youn Kii Jung, an operator at KMTNet, emphasized that scientists now have a stronger incentive to explore how many Super Earths exist across the galaxy.

According to the research, there may be at least as many Super Earths as Neptune-sized planets, changing the future roadmap for space exploration and the search for potentially habitable worlds.

This discovery marks a significant step forward in understanding the complexity and variety of planetary systems beyond our own, setting the stage for more comprehensive exoplanet surveys in the years ahead.