Researchers said Thursday that for the first time they've discovered an extrasolar planet that could harbor life, as it lies squarely in the so-called "habitable zone" of a nearby star.

The planet, dubbed "Gliese 581g," is the sixth known planet found orbiting the red dwarf known as Gliese 581, found within the constellation of Libra. The planet was found by teams at theUniversity of California (UC) Santa Cruz, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington, after nearly a decade of observations using the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.

If Gliese 581g orbited within our solar system, its nearly circular orbit would place it just outside the orbit of Venus, well within the "habitable zone" where liquid water could be found. The presence of water is usually considered a good sign that life could exist.

Gliese 581g, dubbed a "Goldilocks planet" by co-discoverer R. Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, is tidally locked, meaning that the same face of the planet always is oriented toward the sun, with another residing in perpetual darkness. Life could be found near the terminator, or the intersection of the two regions.

The researchers estimate that the rocky planet has a mass about three to four times of Earth, with an orbit of about 37 days.

"Our findings offer a very compelling case for a potentially habitable planet," said Steven Vogt, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, in a statement released by NASA. "The fact that we were able to detect this planet so quickly and so nearby tells us that planets like this must be really common."

Gliese 581 already has two previously detected planets that lie at the edges of the habitable zone, one on the hot side (planet c) and one on the cold side (planet d), NASA said.

[Edited]

http://www.pcmag.com/arti...008,00.asp

We've found the UFO's home planet!

Payback . . . . . .

Very, very cool. Too bad we still have absolutely no way of travelling there, or anywhere else past the moon for that matter.

thisiswhyweneed NASA

oh, and MINE!!

yes, I'm claiming the new planet.

Yay!

found within the constellation of Libra.

PositivityNYC said:

thisiswhyweneed NASA

oh, and MINE!!

yes, I'm claiming the new planet.

I'm sure you could find a better name than Gliese 581g. However, if there is life there AND it's intelligent, they may take a wee small bit of umbrage in regards to us re-naming their planet.

NASA needs to find a way to open it's doors to outside scientists and working with private funding. I fear that's the only way they'll be able to accomplish anything for a good long while. At the rate we're going now the private sector is likely to be making more important space travel advances than NASA within only a handful of years.

well, yes - if it's not already inhabited/named...

I wish they would open things up.. maybe call Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson...

PositivityNYC said:

oh, and MINE!!

yes, I'm claiming the new planet.

Back off! My lawyer's already drawing up the paperwork.

BklynBabe said:

imagine that we took that money and time to take care of the planet we already live on.....

Ace said:

PositivityNYC said:

oh, and MINE!!

yes, I'm claiming the new planet.

Back off! My lawyer's already drawing up the paperwork.

That planet doesn't spin. I need day AND night in rotation. Not one or the other. Forget it...I'm not going.

[Edited 9/30/10 18:43pm]

BklynBabe said:

imagine that we took that money and time to take care of the planet we already live on.....

NASA budget for the 2010 fiscal year = $18.69 billion

Department of Defense and defense-related expenditures for the 2010 fiscal year are expected to = $880 billion to $1.3 trillion

2010 US Federal Budget breakdown

Mandatory spending: $2.184 trillion (+15.6%)

• • $677.95 billion (+4.9%) – Social Security
  • $571 billion (−15.2%) – Other mandatory programs
  • $453 billion (+6.6%) – Medicare
  • $290 billion (+12.0%) – Medicaid
  • $164 billion (+18.0%) – Interest on National Debt
  • $11 billion (+275%) – Potential disaster costs
  • $0 billion (−100%) – Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
  • $0 billion (−100%) – Financial stabilization efforts

• • $663.7 billion (+12.7%) – Department of Defense (including Overseas Contingency Operations)
  • $78.7 billion (−1.7%) – Department of Health and Human Services
  • $72.5 billion (+2.8%) – Department of Transportation
  • $52.5 billion (+10.3%) – Department of Veterans Affairs
  • $51.7 billion (+40.9%) – Department of State and Other International Programs
  • $47.5 billion (+18.5%) – Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • $46.7 billion (+12.8%) – Department of Education
  • $42.7 billion (+1.2%) – Department of Homeland Security
  • $26.3 billion (−0.4%) – Department of Energy
  • $26.0 billion (+8.8%) – Department of Agriculture
  • $23.9 billion (−6.3%) – Department of Justice
  • $18.7 billion (+5.1%) – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • $13.8 billion (+48.4%) – Department of Commerce
  • $13.3 billion (+4.7%) – Department of Labor
  • $13.3 billion (+4.7%) – Department of the Treasury
  • $12.0 billion (+6.2%) – Department of the Interior
  • $10.5 billion (+34.6%) – Environmental Protection Agency
  • $9.7 billion (+10.2%) – Social Security Administration
  • $7.0 billion (+1.4%) – National Science Foundation
  • $5.1 billion (−3.8%) – Corps of Engineers
  • $5.0 billion (+100%) – National Infrastructure Bank
  • $1.1 billion (+22.2%) – Corporation for National and Community Service
  • $0.7 billion (0.0%) – Small Business Administration
  • $0.6 billion (−14.3%) – General Services Administration
  • $19.8 billion (+3.7%) – Other Agencies
  • $105 billion – Other

elmer said:

This planet doesn't spin. I need day AND night in rotation. Not one or the other. Forget it...I'm not going.

Just live near the day/night border and you'll be able to travel back and forth anytime you like.

Cerebus said:

elmer said:

This planet doesn't spin. I need day AND night in rotation. Not one or the other. Forget it...I'm not going.

Just live near the day/night border and you'll be able to travel back and forth anytime you like.

Yeah, but even after we develop light-speed technology, it'll still take 20 years to get there. Not worth it. There's gotta be a nicer, closer planet out there.....

Cerebus said:

elmer said:

This planet doesn't spin. I need day AND night in rotation. Not one or the other. Forget it...I'm not going.

Just live near the day/night border and you'll be able to travel back and forth anytime you like.

Took the words right outta my mouth...

I betcha the folks that live there don't call it Gliese 581g

I wonder what aliens call "The Earth"

ZombieKitten said:

I wonder what aliens call "The Earth"

"Idiot's Delight".

Ace said:

ZombieKitten said:

I wonder what aliens call "The Earth"

"Idiot's Delight".

nasty little bastard planet

ZombieKitten said:

Ace said:

"Idiot's Delight".

nasty little bastard planet

Ace said:

ZombieKitten said:

I wonder what aliens call "The Earth"

"Idiot's Delight".

Hopefully not "Lunch."

I met up with St. Peter
He was working at the Pearly Gates
He said I can't let you in now son
You're going to have to wait
So just sit back and take it easy
And kick off both your shoes
And grab yourself a beer
While I watch the evening news

The jackals leave here laughing as they slip into the night
How did something so beautiful turn into an idiot's delight?

He said What makes them all so stupid?
Oh what I cannot tell
Maybe I should go down there
And show them just a little hell
But would they get the message?
Would anybody learn?
Such a might effort
For such a small return

The jackals leave here laughing as they slip into the night
How did something so beautiful turn into an idiot's delight?

He said Sometimes I get so angry
My blood begins to boil
I must've put my seed
Into some mutant type of soil
They don't understand a thing
And they ain't got no respect
But they sure do keep me laughing man
So what the heck!

The jackals leave here laughing as they slip into the night
How did something so beautiful turn into an idiot's delight?

- J. Grushecky/B. Springsteen

Efan said:

Ace said:

"Idiot's Delight".

Hopefully not "Lunch."

Efan said:

Ace said:

"Idiot's Delight".

Hopefully not "Lunch."

good one!

i was about to say, if there's any INTELLIGENT life there, could they please send some to our planet?

Efan said:

Ace said:

"Idiot's Delight".

Hopefully not "Lunch."

he'll only eat USA

sextonseven said:

Efan said:

Hopefully not "Lunch."

Galactus: "Nah, Earth gives me gas."

ZombieKitten said:

he'll only eat USA

Aliens always seem to land in the U.S. first.

ZombieKitten said:

he'll only eat USA

That's because we're so fat and full of different flavors.

sextonseven said:

ZombieKitten said:

he'll only eat USA

Aliens always seem to land in the U.S. first.

first they will blow up all your fanciest tall buildings