Gliese 581 D – The First Candidate for a Water Planet
Scientists have searched for years for a suitable planet for life. But now, it seems as though the very first planet capable of supporting life has been discovered.
In April, 2007, scientists used the High Accuracy Radial Planet Searcher (dubbed HARPS) to discover a planet in the Libra constellation. The star it was revolving around was named Gliese and this planet, the fourth in line to go around the star, was dubbed Gliese 581 d. The scientists used a technique called radial velocity technique to determine the mass and size of the planet. This technique uses the minute wobble and changes in orbit of the star created by the orbiting planet to estimate the planet’s diameter and mass. The estimates on radius and mass are 1.5 and 6 times that of Earth respectively.
Although, soon after discovery, the planet was said to be on the outer limit of habitability, it was in 2009 that astronomers found out that the planet revolved Gliese 581 much closer than they actually estimated. This would put the planet in the habitable zone, a zone in space near the star where liquid water and suitable climate can actually develop to support life.
This has sparked interest in scientists, who believe they have actually discovered what they believe to be the first exosolar planet among several others to actually have a chance to support life. Not only that, they also believe that they have found the first planet other than Earth in the universe that is a serious “Ocean Planet” candidate, being covered by an ocean rivalling that on Earth, large and deep.
Regarding starlight, Gliese 581 d recieves about 30% of the light recieved here on Earth. To emphasize on how small this is, Mars, our solar neighbour, recieves 40% of the light recieved by us. That puts the temperature of Gliese 581d at very cold, in fact colder than Mars. But scientists have said that Gliese 581d, unlike Mars, lies in the habitable zone. It is also much heavier than Mars. This, as scientists say, can be very influential in creating one thing that is very vital for survival – atmosphere.
Planets which are heavy have a higher gravitational pull. So it is much more likely that Gliese 581d has retained any gases it has trapped, unlike Mars. When there is an atmosphere, there is also something which is currently in excess in Earth, threatening life – The greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect has rocketed into fame so fast in recent years, and not without reason. I don’t need to repeat the effects that global warming is causing that is causing the ice caps to melt. Scientists have calculated that if greenhouse effect were not present, then our planet would be about -18°C (this is a piece of knowledge distributed to the general public). The very fact that greenhouse effect boosts the temperature from below freezing to causing the ice caps to melt, is the same that has the capability to make Gliese 581 d very much habitable.
Its parent star is the Gliese 581, located in the Libra constellation, about 20.3 light years away from Earth. It is a red dwarf and its mass is one-third that of the Sun. It has atleast four planets, Gliese 581b, c, d and e.
Although Gl 581 c was first thought to be within the habitable zone, scientists have since then come to the conclusion that Gl 581c would have a runaway greenhouse atmosphere, rather like Venus. A runaway greenhouse atmosphere means that the possible vast resources of greenhouse gases in the crust or in any other form were released abruptly, causing intense greenhouse effect. In contrast, Gl 581d is thought to be in the habitable zone much more firmly. Given below are the comparitive sizes of the Sun and Gliese 581. The smaller star is Gliese.
From this, we can quite easily see the difference in the intensity of light. The sun is comparitively very young, while Gliese 581 is atleast a billion years old. The Sun emits radiation primarily in the visible part of the spectrum in the yellow region, while Gl 581 emits radiation primarily in the infrared region, thus the red coloration in the image.
While Gliese 581 holds much promise for the presence of life, we’ll have to wait and observe as the nature of the atmosphere is the deciding factor for the presence of any form of life.
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On May 24, 2010 at 3:18 pm
both solotions can and will work and can be made with current technology if the governments of the world helps on this.
try this thereoy:nuke waste warp drive that turns nukelear waste into a gass and mix it with plasma and ionized gas with a controlled flow and burst of speed
with out makeing a warp bubble so that breaks there dangerous warp bubble solotion that could cause earth or a near by planet to be distroyed by its bubble.
or try this energy warp drive solotion from tim edward williams: you need it where you can create a gravity energy compression in the energy bubble,and that it
mimics jupiters mass if wanted to plus pressure by concentrateing charged particals,ions,ionized gass,plasma or heated plasma,microwaves,telekenetic energy,matter,
electrons,protons optional,photons optional at its center and magnatisum like electromagnetic rings going clockwise and counter clockwise both directions to make a
warp burst energy bubble and then needs thrust burners to burst its energy bubble to go to warp speed that it creates. the things that could be used to add to this
energy warp to be experamented and tried in a super computer for this is optional here we go:try atoms to be sucked in the energy warp bubble,cosmic raidiation at
the center of it,electromagnetic shield or field rings,pulsesating electromagnetic shield or field rings,or add nukelearwaste or nukelear fuel into a gass to add
to the center of the energy warp bubble,more matter the more stuff of all explained in this energy warp drive engine the faster the ship will go.this warp drive
solotion can also make energy engines for the airforce can make history and highly classified projects and can be uesed to save people to go to a earth like planet.
ship will go.
On January 26, 2011 at 1:43 pm
stfu faggot