Exoplanet Types: Worlds Beyond Our Solar System

When we describe different types of exoplanets – planets outside our solar system – what do we mean by “hot Jupiters,“ “warm Neptunes,“ and “super-Earths“? Since we’re still surveying and learning about the variety of worlds out there among the stars, it’s sometimes helpful to refer to characteristics they share with planets we’re familiar with in our own planetary system. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech