New Study Finds No Sign of ‘First Habitable Exoplanet’

Things don’t look good for Gliese 581g, the first planet found orbiting in the habitable zone of another star. The first official challenge to the small, hospitable world looks in the exact same data — and finds no significant sign of the planet.

“For the time being, the world does not have data that’s good enough to claim the planet,” said astro-statistics expert Philip Gregoryof the University of British Columbia, author of the new study.

The “first habitable exoplanet” already has a checkered history. When it was announced last September, Gliese 581g was heralded as the first known planet that could harbor alien life. The planet orbits its dim parent star once every 36.6 days, placing it smack in the middle of the star’s habitable zone, the not-too-hot, not-too-cold region where liquid water could be stable.

Planet G was the sixth planet found circling Gliese 581, a red dwarf star 20 light-years from Earth. A team of astronomers from the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland found the first four planets using the HARPS spectrograph on a telescope in Chile. The team carefully measured the star’s subtle wobbles as the planets tugged it back and forth.

Two more planets, including the supposedly habitable 581g, appeared when astronomers Steve Vogt of the University of California, Santa Cruz and Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington added data from the HIRES spectrograph on the Keck Telescope in Hawaii. They announced their discovery Sept. 29.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/01/gliese-581g-questioned/

 

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And what is your point exactly

Not to troll but you just presented facts nothing controversial or thought provoking

DM

 

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I think the smallest one they detected yet is 1.5 times earth size, which tells you they have a LOT of trouble detecting Planets our size.

Red Dwarfs would make a shitty star to sustain life. Even in "Habitable" zone, there is more to it than just temperature = liquid water.

 

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Space the final frontier bugalo Jones. Get A clue who are you. Make a contribution to life will yeah. Don't just sit there and criticize. Man Alive drive
that ship to new lands

 

Don't know. It's in the water , Thats what were made of Bag myster. Ah Yeah what percent again? Oh yeah you need some rocks in your head too, so you are right after all. Water = heat = Rocks for brains
What else?
Don't hurt Me I am innocent, I didn't do it . It was Lori7 , she did it. She put thoughts in my brain. Rocks that is.

 

Hypocracy much?

but really my point was not that he had useless info, he was sharing info which is good but he was not provoking discussion.

like a class were the teacher goes "here is the info, memorize it and give it back to me" its fine, but there are better ways to do it

i mean no harm

DM

 

Does enlightenment always come from controversy or thought provocation? Interesting facts sometimes are there just to absorb and learn from not to create stimulation. Perhaps this type of useful information doesn't fit your way of thinking but to others they gain knowledge and information which is what they seek. I cannot produce words that always make you or others happy but all you need do is to stop reading and find another area that interests you.

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