10-14-2010 04:02 PM
Video: Astronomers Find First Earth-like Planet
Astronomers have discovered the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date, an exoplanet with a radius only 50% larger than the Earth and capable of having liquid water. This new member in a family of planets circling a red dwarf star 20 light-years away has just been found. It's called Gliese 581g, and the 'g' may very well stand for Goldilocks. Gliese 581g is the first world discovered beyond Earth that's the right size and location for life. Using the ESO 3.6-m telescope, a team of Swiss, French and Portuguese scientists discovered a super-Earth about 5 times the mass of the Earth that orbits a red dwarf, already known to harbor a Neptune-mass planet. The astronomers have also strong evidence for the presence of a third planet with a mass about 8 Earth masses. Watch the video!
10-29-2010 09:37 AM
Interesting related story to this video: University of California-Berkeley astronomers conclude that the Earth many not be unique. In the first-ever planets census the researchers report that nearly one in four stars like the sun have earth-like planets. Mulder may be right that we are not alone and the truth is out there. Read the full story here.