Hawaiian Planet Hunters Peer into Space
A celebrated team of planet hunters were back peering into the cosmos only two months after announcing to the world they had discovered the most earth-like planet to date. Called the “Goldilocks” planet because it’s not too hot or too cold but rather just right, Gliese 581g has sparked a little cosmological controversy over who found it first.
The red dwarf star Gliese 581 is located in the constellation Libra about 20.3 light years from Earth. Since 2007, astronomers have found six planets orbiting this star. But the recently announced discovery by Keck Observatory astronomers in Hawaii seems to be the most Earth-like planet found to date.
The discovery of Gliese 581g is located between two previously discovered planets on either end of what astronomers call the habitable zone. Scientists will get a better look at the star in the next few months when our sun moves out of the way. Right now astronomers think the new planet has a 37-day orbit but they need more telescope time to see what else is out there.
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