New Planet Gliese 581g – Goldilocks Planet – A recent planet was discovered that scientists now believe could have life forms inhabiting it. Gliese 581g orbits the star Gliese 581, and it is the right distance away from the star that the surface temperatures would allow liquid water to exist on its surface. There have been about 500 planets that scientists have discovered, and this is the first one that could potentially be inhabitable by life forms.

A "Goldilocks planet" is a planet that falls within a star's habitable zone, often specifically used for planets close to the size of Earth.^[1][2] The name comes from the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which a little girl chooses from sets of three items, ignoring the ones that are too extreme (large or small, hot or cold, etc.), and settling on the one in the middle, which is "just right". Likewise, a planet following thisGoldilocks Principle is one that is neither too close nor too far from a star to rule out life (as humans understand it) on the planet.

Goldilocks planets are of key interest to researchers looking either for existing (and possibly intelligent) life or for future homes for the human race. The Drake equation, which attempts to estimate the likelihood of non-terrestrial intelligent life, incorporates a factor (n_e) for the average number of life-supporting planets in a star system with planets. The discovery of extrasolar Goldilocks planets helps to refine estimates for this figure. Very low estimates would contribute to the Rare Earth hypothesis, which posits that a series of extremely unlikely events and conditions led to the rise of life on Earth. High estimates would reinforce the Copernican mediocrity principle, in that large numbers of Goldilocks planets would imply that Earth is not especially exceptional.

Finding Earth-sized Goldilocks planets is a key part of the Kepler Mission, which uses a space telescope (launched on 7 March 2009 UTC) to survey and compile the characteristics of habitable-zone planets.^[3]

Although the extrasolar planet 70 Virginis b was initially nicknamed "Goldilocks" because it was thought to be within the star's habitable zone, it is now believed to be far too warm to be "just right" for life, and is thus not a Goldilocks planet.^[4]

The Gliese 581 system has a set of slightly oversized terrestrial planets mirroring our own solar system's. It is currently believed that the third planet, planet c, is in the Venus position (slightly too close), the fourth planet g in the Earth/Goldilocks position, and the fifth planet d in the Mars position. Planet d may be too cold, but unlike Mars, it is several times more massive than Earth and may have a dense atmosphere that kept it warm. One caveat with this system is that it orbits a red dwarf and all the planets are likely tidally locked to the star.

Speaking of "Goldilocks" did you hear about the guy who fell in love with a girl as pure and lovely as Goldilocks,  lost her because he couldn't resist temptation  and had to settle for one of the three ugly stepsisters?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldilocks_planet  


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posted on Sept 30, 2010 6:19 PM ()

Comments:

There is always that hope that the parallel universe would be better than ours, that they've figured out how to avoid a lot of the ills of our society.

comment by troutbend on Oct 1, 2010 12:43 PM ()

I would certainly hope so. We have to be the dumbest people in the universe...completely determined to destroy our planet and ourselves. We are the only species on earth that kills for any reason other than for food.

reply by redimpala on Oct 1, 2010 12:48 PM ()

We heard about Goldilocks on the science channel. Wouldn't it be fun to think we have a parallel universe.

comment by elderjane on Oct 1, 2010 6:27 AM ()

Yes, it would! It will be interesting to learn more about it.

reply by redimpala on Oct 1, 2010 6:34 AM ()

I want MY Pluto back!!!!

comment by greatmartin on Sept 30, 2010 10:15 PM ()

Poor Pluto. He just gets no respect anymore.

reply by redimpala on Oct 1, 2010 6:34 AM ()

It would be nice to be around when long distance space travel becomes possible... Ugh.... But my goal isn't quite that lofty at this point.

comment by jjoohhnn on Sept 30, 2010 6:46 PM ()

Won't happen in my lifetime, but who knows what opportunities may present themselves for my grandchildren.

reply by redimpala on Sept 30, 2010 7:25 PM ()

So it would appear that rather than working to keep Earth inhabitable, we will use up all our resources and, like the mad tea party (no pun intended) where the guests change seats when their place is dirty, we'll just change planets when ours is used up. Wouldn't it be cool if life on this new planet was so advanced, that they would repel our people? Oooooo.

comment by tealstar on Sept 30, 2010 6:36 PM ()

If they are smart, they will.

reply by redimpala on Sept 30, 2010 7:26 PM ()

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