<ul><li>A possible 'super-Earth' orbits a relatively close, Sun-like star, and could be a habitable world – but one of extreme temperature swings, from scorching heat to deep freeze.</li><li>The newly confirmed planet is the outermost of three detected so far around a star called HD 20794, just 20 light-years from Earth.</li><li>Its 647-day orbit is comparable to Mars in our solar system, but this planet's orbit is highly eccentric, stretched into an oval shape.</li><li>The planet spends a good chunk of its year in the 'habitable zone' around its star, but due to its eccentric orbit, it experiences extreme temperature swings and could be about six times as massive as Earth.</li></ul>

Discovery Alert: ‘Super-Earth’ Swings from Super-Heated to Super-Chill

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