Dark World Animation Annotated

Science Animations Video • August 19th, 2019 • ssc2019-14v2

This artist's animation with annotations depicts the exoplanet LHS 3844b, which is 1.3 times the mass of Earth and orbits an M dwarf star. The planet's surface may be covered mostly in dark lava rock, with no apparent atmosphere, according to observations by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

Planet LHS 3844b is located 48.6 light-years from Earth and makes one full revolution around its parent star in just 11 hours. It’s 1.3 times the mass of Earth, orbits an M dwarf star, and was discovered in 2018 by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey (TESS).

Music: Stellardrone (CC BY 4.0)