--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A major puzzle for which nobody has an…" description: "\"A major puzzle for which nobody has an answer is this: is there some size at which the planets change their nature from water-rich planets like Neptune..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/geoffrey-marcy-64559_composition_a-major-puzzle-for-which-nobody-has-an-a_2609224.jpg" --- # A major puzzle for which nobody has an answer is this: is… ![“A major puzzle for which nobody has an answer is this: is there some size at which the planets change their nature from water-rich planets like Neptune, to rocky planets like the Earth? We have found two planets that are the size of the Earth in radius, but they are very close to their host star…” quote by Geoffrey Marcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/geoffrey-marcy-64559_composition_a-major-puzzle-for-which-nobody-has-an-a_2609224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/geoffrey-marcy-64559_composition_a-major-puzzle-for-which-nobody-has-an-a_2609224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f7/geoffrey-marcy-64559_composition_a-major-puzzle-for-which-nobody-has-an-a_2609224.jpg) > “A major puzzle for which nobody has an answer is this: is there some size at which the planets change their nature from water-rich planets like Neptune, to rocky planets like the Earth? We have found two planets that are the size of the Earth in radius, but they are very close to their host star, so water on the surface would evaporate away.” [Geoffrey Marcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-marcy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scientists question whether a planet’s size determines its composition, noting a gap between water‑rich giants and rocky worlds. **In simple terms:** Size may dictate if a planet is watery or rocky. Key Takeaway Investigate planetary composition across sizes. Themes planetary science exoplanets composition astronomy Mood curious speculative Type scientific inquisitive When to use this quote - observing distant star systems - modeling planetary interiors - searching for Earth‑like worlds Key Concepts mass-radius relationship planetary formation habitability Questions to Reflect On - How does proximity to a star affect a planet’s water? - What other factors could influence planetary nature? A Different Perspective Current data are limited to a few close‑in planets, making conclusions tentative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Puzzles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puzzles/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [Earlier generations of stars in the galaxy could well have had planets. 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Moons like me get new planets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/such-is-life-we-grow-up-planets-like-tiny-get-new-moons-moons-like-me/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A time will come when men will stretch out their eyes. 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The water inside is like the space all around; the space is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/md-ziaul-haque/sometimes-i-imagine-that-the-universe-is-like-an-unmoved-round-bucket/) [Md. Ziaul Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/md-ziaul-haque/) > [Music is a lot more like solving an intricate puzzle with moments of pure, random creative bliss... whereas painting is much more purely random…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-boyd/music-is-a-lot-more-like-solving-an-intricate-puzzle-with-moments-of/) [Brandon Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-boyd/) > [By amusing myself with all these games, all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, I became famous... I am only a public entertainer who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/by-amusing-myself-with-all-these-games-all-this-nonsense-all-these/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [The greatest determinant of greatness is going to be our ability to collaborate with others who have pieces of the puzzle we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-abraham/the-greatest-determinant-of-greatness-is-going-to-be-our-ability-to/) [Jay Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-abraham/) > [We're in this strange age where we can't say 'I love you,' at least not sincerely. It's something where, if you simplify it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoffer-boe/we-re-in-this-strange-age-where-we-can-t-say-i-love-you-at-least-not/) Christoffer Boe ## More by Geoffrey Marcy > [Our galaxy is 10 billion years old. The Earth is only 4.5 billion years old. We are a firefly flicker in the great astrobiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-marcy/our-galaxy-is-10-billion-years-old-the-earth-is-only-4-5-billion/) [Geoffrey Marcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-marcy/) > [What fraction of the twinkling lights you see at night have Earths?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-marcy/what-fraction-of-the-twinkling-lights-you-see-at-night-have-earths/) [Geoffrey Marcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-marcy/) > [In the next century or two, we humans will have planet-finder telescopes that span our solar system with mirrors strewn from here to Jupiter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-marcy/in-the-next-century-or-two-we-humans-will-have-planet-finder/) [Geoffrey Marcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-marcy/) > [I'm at a funny crossroads, personally. 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