Astronomers have identified L 98-59 d as an unusual exoplanet that may belong to a new class of planets. The world, located 35 light-years away, appears to have a long-lasting magma ocean beneath its surface and a gas-rich structure unlike typical rocky planets.

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• L 98-59 d is an exoplanet located about 35 light-years from Earth and is now being studied as a possible new class of planet.
• Researchers found that the planet is slightly bigger than Earth, but its much lower density suggests it is not made only of rock and metal like a typical terrestrial planet.
• The study indicates that the planet may contain a long-lasting ocean of molten rock beneath its surface, making its internal structure very unusual.
• Scientists believe this magma ocean can trap gases such as hydrogen and release them slowly over an extremely long period of time.
• Because of this combination of molten interior and volatile gases, researchers say the planet is not quite a gas planet and not a normal rocky world either.
• This makes L 98-59 d important for scientists trying to understand how planets form, evolve and maintain unusual atmospheres outside our solar system.
• The discovery could reshape existing ideas about exoplanets by showing that some planets may exist in an in-between category not clearly matching known planet types.
• The findings were reported in a recent study published in Nature, adding scientific weight to the claim that L 98-59 d is a highly unusual world.