COLUMBUS, Ohio (UPI) -- Scientists report discovering a new planet they call a "super-Earth" in a solar system about 9,000 light-years away from Earth.

The icy and rocky planet weighs 13 times as much as Earth and orbits a star that's about half as big as our sun, National Geographic News reported.

The planet, named OGLE-2005-BLG-169Lb, was discovered in an area such as the one populated by our solar system's gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn. But astronomers believe the newly discovered planet didn't accumulate enough gas to grow to giant proportions.

"We've never been able to see these failed Jupiter cores before," Andrew Gould, an astronomer at Ohio State University in Columbus who is leading the research, told NGN.

He suggests, however, super-Earths are rather common and that about 35 percent of all stars have them.

National Geographic News said the planet's terrestrial nature prompted scientists to call it a "super-Earth," but its distance from its star chills it to minus 330 degrees Fahrenheit, making it too cold for liquid water and, presumably, life.

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9,000 light years away to far for me :P.Why don't we search for life somewhere closer to home Eg: Europa one of Jupiters satelites.A satelite who has at the surface frozen water.

Sounds good idea, but even then how far away are all of them. & especially how can someone travel 9000, bloody light years away, when we haven't been able to even travel @ the speed of light.

When we see other planets, we just are in awe of how beautiful they are - their colors, the way they are just so different from our planet in terms of size, color, and composition, but I find our planet the most beautiful of all - because it sustains life I wish we could find some planet that has actually life in it - that would be really intruiging!

that is such an interesting piece! i just wish we could see it up close? hehe an impossible thought

maybe u will sometime in the future:)