GJ 1214 b: The Ocean World

This world, known as GJ 1214 b, could be the true ruler of cosmic

oceans — possibly the strangest water-covered planet in the galaxy. Located roughly 48 light-years away

in the constellation Ophiuchus, GJ 1214 b is classified as a sub-Neptune, or “water world,”

and has no real counterpart in our own solar system. It measures about 2.7 times Earth’s

radius and has nearly seven times Earth’s mass. What sets it apart is that its entire

composition may be dominated by water — not oceans like those on Earth, but a vast global

sea that could plunge 10,000 kilometers deep. That’s enough water to bury every mountain,

valley, and continent on Earth millions of times over. Beneath this immense