All Images
News Release 08-093
Small Planet, Small Star
Newly discovered extrasolar planet is the smallest known and has smallest host star
This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.
![Artist's conception of the newly discovered planet MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb orbiting its star.](/news/mmg/media/images/small_planet_f.jpg)
Artist's conception of the newly discovered planet MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb orbiting a brown dwarf "star" with a mass of only 6 percent of that of the Sun. Theory suggests that the 3-Earth-mass planet is made primarily of rock and ice. Observational and theoretical studies of brown dwarfs reveal that they have a magenta color due to absorption by elements such as sodium and potassium in their atmospheres. If the host star has a mass of 9 percent of that of the Sun, at the other end of the margin of error for the new microlensing data, the star would be a red dwarf about 100 times brighter than the brown dwarf, but 1000 times fainter than the Sun.
Credit: NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program
Download the high-resolution JPG version of the image. (2.9 MB)
Use your mouse to right-click (Mac users may need to Ctrl-click) the link above and choose the option that will save the file or target to your computer.
David Bennett, associate professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame, discusses the most recent extrasolar planet discovery using the microlensing method.
Credit: National Science Foundation / University of Notre Dame
![Illustration of gravitational microlensing.](/news/mmg/media/images/microlens_still_f2.jpg)
View Video
This animation explains gravitational microlensing.
Credit: Trent Schindler, National Science Foundation
![Illustration showing the signature distortion caused by gravity.](/news/mmg/media/images/microlens_disc_still_f1.jpg)
View Video
This animation explains how gravitational microlensing detects planets.
Credit: Andrew Williams, University of Western Australia / Trent Schindler, National Science Foundation