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Alien Planet HD 85512 b Holds Possibility of Life (Infographic)

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Planet HD 85512 b, though larger than Earth, may have some of the conditions thought necessary for life to exist there.
Planet HD 85512 b, though larger than Earth, may have some of the conditions thought necessary for life to exist there.
(Image: © Karl Tate, SPACE.com)

The announcement of 50 newfound alien worlds today (Sept. 12) included 16 so-called "super-Earths" and one planet that, just possibly, could be habitable, astronomers said.

The planet, called HD 85512 b, orbits the star HD 85512 about 35 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Vela (the Sail). See a profile of the planet in the infographic above.

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