A super-Earth between Mars and Jupiter? 🌎

Could a world just slightly larger than Earth between Mars and Jupiter have made our planet uninhabitable? This question is being explored by researchers, including Emily Simpson and Howard Chen from the Florida Institute of Technology, who simulated a slightly different solar system to investigate the hypothesis. Their work reveals troubling implications for planetary balance.

Super-Earths, planets more massive than Earth but less so than Neptune, are abundant in the Milky Way. Yet, our solar system is curiously devoid of them. This absence raises questions: if such a planet had existed, it could have profoundly altered the dynamics of other rocky worlds like Earth.


To understand this, the scientists modeled a scenario in which a super-Earth — which they nicknamed "Phaedra" — formed between Mars and Jupiter. According to their study, this hypothetical planet would have exerted disruptive gravitational forces on the orbits of other planets. The result: more eccentric or inclined trajectories, leading to extreme climates.

On an Earth affected by such a planet, summers and winters would have been far harsher, with rapid climate oscillations. Life, if it emerged, would have had to adapt to unpredictable conditions, far from the relative stability that allowed its development here.

Simpson and Chen tested several possible masses and orbits for Phaedra. A planet 10 to 20 times the mass of Earth would have caused the worst disruptions, making the very existence of our planet improbable. Even a super-Earth just twice Earth's mass would have produced harsher winters and scorching summers, though Earth might still have remained habitable despite a chaotic climate.

These findings raise questions about the diversity of planetary systems across the galaxy. Where super-Earths exist, neighboring worlds might be less hospitable to life.

What is a super-Earth?

Super-Earths are exoplanets whose mass exceeds that of Earth but is less than that of Neptune. They are one of the most common classes of planets in the Milky Way.

These planets can vary greatly in composition: some are rocky, similar to Earth, while others possess a dense gaseous atmosphere. Their size and mass strongly influence their potential to host liquid water.

Unlike our solar system, where they are absent, super-Earths are detected around many stars using techniques like the transit method or radial velocity measurements. These discoveries enrich our understanding of planetary systems.

Scientists are actively studying these worlds because, beyond their disruptive impacts on terrestrial planets, some could lie in a habitable zone, offering favorable conditions for life.