First alien planet that could support life discovered 20 light-years from Earth
OCT 01, 2010
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.024708
New Scientist : Astronomers have found the first alien planet that could support life: It is the right distance from its star, Gliese 581, to harbor liquid water and probably has a rocky composition like Earth’s. The planet, dubbed Gliese 581 g, has a 37-day orbit and a mass 3.14.3 times that of Earth’s. One of the researchers, Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, believes that it is probably just the first of many likely to be found. The discovery comes on the heels of a recent prediction that the first Earth-like planet would be found in the first half of 2011. The team’s article , which has been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal, is in press.
© 2010 American Institute of Physics
