h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Looks like I am going to be busy today, updating my entry on the HO Librae (Gliese 581) system in PR http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19519-found-first-rocky-exoplanet-that-could-host-life.html (thanks for the alert Amy P)

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/gliese_581_feature.html

The Internet is buzzing with chatter about Gliese 581 g being in the right place, and it's the right size, etc. I'm hoping the super-Earth won't be dubbed "Goldilocks" because that's a bit obvious, and it will really annoy Gnomon. The co-discoverer has called it "Zarmina's World" after his wife, but that's unofficial and unlikely to be chosen, if indeed it is ever named, I don't recall any exoplanets which have been named.

The fact that it is orbiting a star so close to us is really interesting. Also, a world that is revolving around a red-dwarf, after it has been through the red-giant phase, that's cool too.

"that's cool too."

Very good

Fascinating stuff GB, ta for posting.

Red dwarfs haven't been through a red giant phase. They're stars that started out small and are burning slowly. They'll continue to burn slowly long after the big stars are all gone.

Nobody knows what will happen to red dwarfs, as the universe isn't old enough yet, but it is assumed that they will just go out when all the fuel is gone.

Most of the stars in our galaxy are red dwarfs.

'Gliese 581, located 20 light years away from Earth'

And we call that close. How scales change; not long ago we thought a billion euro/dollars/quid a lot of money.

They should call it Gisbig, because then you could write its name in Leet as Gl581b.

Sorry, Gl581g.

Ah. I was confusing it with a white dwarf. Thanks.

i think they should name it Arthur

how much is that in dog years anyway

they can call it what they want,its too far away for it to hear anyway

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11444022

Hmmm . . . if we send them a message (Pawn to King 4) we might get a reply in 40 years (Knight to Queen's Bishop 3). Looks promising.

I am sure Richard Branson is arranging for a licence to organise trips there as we speak...

I was telling my partner Gordon about this today and he asked me if the red dwarf star had anything to do with the last Earthman living ()

Isn't the Goldilocks zone somewhere in the vicinity of Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Ursa Media?

I read about this on the BBC a minute ago. Very interesting stuff. What's an Exoplanet though?

short for extrasolar planet - a planet around a star other than our own, Sol.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/gliese_581_feature.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrasolar_planet

Thanks for the wonderful link!!

Christiane
AR80
Saturday 3rd October 2010

9.31 GMT