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Definitions
- exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star outside the solar system.
- Goldilocks planets: Planet that is similar in size and conditions to the Earth: not too close and not too far from the sun.
Summary
Astronomers recently found a planet, Gliese 581g, that is about 20 light-years away and is capable of having water on its surface, which makes this planet possibly have life. Gliese 581g is the most Earthlike planet that has been discovered and meets the criteria that it might be habitable. This planet circles a red star, Gliese 581, and is located in the Goldilocks zone, where the temperatures are perfect for water to exist in a liquid form. The planet was the first actual Goldilocks planet discovered, and the sun it circles closely resembles our Sun, making both solar systems very similar. Two of Gliese's planets were thought to be habitable several years ago, but further analysis showed that one planet's greenhouse effect would make the planet too hot for living organisms. Data also showed that another planet on the outer rim of the Goldilocks zone is too cold for life. Astronomers have estimated the average temperature on the surface of Gliese 581g to be between 10 and negative 24 degrees Fahrenheit, similar temperatures to a summer day in Antarctica. Although the planet is perfect for life, planets in that system always face the star at the same time, meaning that temperatures could vary drastically from day to night.Discussion
I think it is interesting that there might be life on Gliese 581g and possibly a planet that could be explored in the future. Gliese 581g could be a perfect place for people to move to if Earth's resources run out in the future. I am also interested because astronomers in the future may discover that the planet's surface looks exactly like Earth's. Also, I find it intriguing that there are probably many solar systems similar to Gliese 581's and our solar systems out further in space. I chose this article because I find it interesting how scientists might have possibly found the key to Earth's future and possibly even extraterrestrials.
Questions
- How do planets like Gliese 581g and Earth coincidentally move into the perfect Goldilocks zone and does this occur very often in other solar systems scientists discovered?
- Are there animals or organisms on Gliese 581g and if there are, are they similar to those on Earth?
Sources
- Overbye, Dennis. "New Planet May Be Able to Nurture Organisms." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/science/space/
30planet.html?_r=1&ref=space>. - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/science/space/30planet.html?_r=2&ref=space
Your format for your blog was excellent. You included everything and even an extra question. Without the definitions, I would not have been able to fully understand the topic. Your picture is also great considering it could be hard to find an actual picture of the planet (it's 20 light years away). Your questions also look like you provided deep thought into them. I think this discovery will urge astronomers all over the world to start researching this planet. Although it will take a while to send a probe to the planet, once that occurs there will be a safe planet for humans if the world encounters problems. I think this discovery will lead to many other planet discoveries in that galaxy.
ReplyDeleteThis post was very good. This topic is very interesting as most of the known planets in the universe are not capable of sustaining life. The format was great with clear definitions that really helped me understand the other parts of the blog. I think that this discovery will lead to more research to find other planets that are able to sustain life and are not so far away.
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