Most Earth-like planet discovered so far
26 April 2007
by Carina Lee
The most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System some 20 light years away has been discovered by European astronomers. The planet, Gliese 581c, which is slighter larger than Earth in size, has been discovered to have conditions similar to that of Earth but more importantly, it was found that it has the capability of supporting liquid water. The leader of this research, Stephane Udry, is from the Geneva Observatory, and explains “We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid.” The important breakthrough was made using an extremely precise and very sophisticated piece of spectroscopic equipment known as the High Accuracy Radial Velocity for Planetary Searcher (HARPS). It is a spectrograph which is able to measure velocities with such precision that even planetary objects light years away from our own Solar System can be detected. Gliese 581c’s discovery is a step in the right direction and with the ever increasing precision of modern technology and gadgets, the future is looking promising,particularly when looking for possible places for life in the galactic neighborhood.
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Artists impression of the planet which may have liquid water. image: European Southern Observatory |
Related Links
Original press release from ESO
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