This image was created for press release purposes and may be used at no charge,
with name credit given to Lynette Cook.

With an interior structure of a hybrid super-Earth/Neptune, Gliese 436 b circles a red M dwarf star just 30 light years from Earth. An observed transit is depicted in the lower right-hand box. Hydrogen and helium, which may be present in the atmosphere, could scatter blue light preferentially by Raleigh scattering. Clouds reflect the orange-red light of the star. Discovered by the The California Planet Survey.

Lynette Cook is a self-employed scientific illustrator who has focused on exoplanets and life in space throughout her professional career. She is a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists. More artwork by Cook is at http://extrasolar.spaceart.org.

Lynnette Cook is a member of the International Association of Astronomical Artists.