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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 credit: 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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Karl Tate
Karl Tate
Space.com contributor

Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork).  Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web.  He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.