Astronomers in France say a rocky planet orbiting a star that's one of our closest galactic neighbors may have all the ingredients to make us earthlings feel right at home.
The planet Gliese 581d, orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 about 20 light years from Earth, could support oceans, clouds and rainfall with a greenhouse effect that would moderate its temperatures, the team of scientists from the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace in Paris says in a study published this month in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
If you're thinking the Gliese 581 system and possibly habitable planets sound familiar, you're right. Just last year, scientists reported that another planet, Gliese 581g, was a prime candidate to support life.
More recent studies have cast doubt on whether Gliese 581g even exists, although one of the scientists who claimed its discovery, astronomer Steven Vogt of the University of California-Santa Cruz, has defended his work, according to a report on Space.com.
With the 581g debate in mind, the scientists in Paris decided to take another look at 581d, which they note is seven times the size of Earth. When it was discovered in 2007, 581d was thought not to be capable of sustaining life, because it has permanent day and night sides, with the night side too cold for living organisms, and it gets only a third as much energy from its star as Earth gets from the sun.
The Paris scientists used a new atmospheric simulation model to look at 581d. And here's what they found, according to a press release:
"With a dense carbon dioxide atmosphere – a likely scenario on such a large planet – the climate of Gliese 581d is not only stable against collapse, but warm enough to have oceans, clouds and rainfall."
The fact that 581d orbits a red dwarf star makes a big difference, they found.
On Earth, a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering reflects heat from our sun in the form of blue light back into space. This helps keep Earth from overheating. But as the atmosphere on 581d is absorbing only red light, Rayleigh scattering doesn't come into play.
"This means that (light) can penetrate much deeper into the atmosphere, where it heats the planet effectively due to the greenhouse effect of the CO2 atmosphere," the scientists said in the press release.
Their model also showed "the daylight heating was efficiently redistributed across the planet by the atmosphere, preventing atmospheric collapse on the night side or at the poles," they said.
But don't pack up the spaceship just yet.
"While Gliese 581d may be habitable there are other possibilities; it could have kept some atmospheric hydrogen, like Uranus and Neptune, or the fierce wind from its star during its infancy could even have torn its atmosphere away entirely," the scientists said.
And even if you left now, in a current-technology spaceship, it would take 300,000 years to get to the Gliese system.
So there's plenty of time to figure it out. Or get Capt. James T. Kirk and the starship Enterprise to explore strange new worlds.
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I can't believe all the comments bashing God. May the Lord bless you.
May you get a brain.
God is the alien and Heaven is our mother planet. Formerly known as Mars. Once we depleted it's resources we were transplanted to the closest viable planet Earth. That's why there is no missing link between man and ape and why it seems man just all of a sudden appeared on Earth....So what do ya think? Sounded pretty reasonable though. Makes more sense than talking snakes and magic apples...
Which god? Right.... the one you picked, not any of the other imaginary gods......
May God Be Less to you too.
Perhaps there is life on other planets and they visit this place, what a embarrassment. Planet of the apes and some people wonder why they don't communicate with us, if they gave us advanced technology we would use it to kill each other. I have seen them up close and we have nothing that can move like that, it will stun you to really see something that is a myth. A sphere that was bigger than the full moon and just as bright moving in zig zag fashion making no noise as it did ninety degree turns faster than your eye could follow then floating like a balloon only to zip off so fast you could not follow it. They observe us I think so that if we stumble across a faster than light drive they can take it away. We are a primitive people by even our own standards who posses the power to destroy life on the planet and we are well on the way to doing just that, what a shame it was a beautiful planet.
I haven't seen Alien spacecraft but I agree with everything else you said.
Alot of maybe's here
Even if it's a bust and we're wrong about what is there I still want to go see.
If you want to bring God into this I can only tell you my experience. I was given the assignment to study the Greek Orthodox church and after reading everything I could I did not think it was enough so I asked to attend a service at a Greek church. It was arranged but I was told that I would not understand it because it was in Greek. I was dropped off at the church and sat in the middle of the congregation. Part way through the service I felt compelled to walk to the alter. I tried to fight the compulsion but could not, so I got up and walked to the altar rail with everyone staring at me. A voice said go to the altar so I stepped over the rail feeling the eyes staring. Upon reaching the altar I fell to my knees and the entire world turned black and I thought I was going to die then everything turned blood red like being inside a ruby, it then turned blue white and all I felt was love, love like nothing I have ever felt. When I came out of this the people around me would not look at me, they just crossed then selves and looked away. Two priests came up to me and said your mother is here to pick you up she has been waiting. I thought the words I was going to say and they said without talking, no you cannot stay here you must go with your mother. I then went home and have never thought I was home since. God is love, nothing but love and forgiveness. We are the ones who do not love and will not forgive and anyone who uses the bible to beat up on someone has set themselves higher than God.
God is a figment of your over active imagination. Oh.... and *which* god is it? There have been SO many invented over the years its hard to keep track.
200 billion stars in the Milky Way. 100 Billion other Galaxies. Kepler finding extra solar planets everywhere, over a 1000 already. Look up; the universe is teaming with life everywhere. Any human who things we are the special creation and all this was done for us is mentally disturbed or has a giant ego complex. When will be all finally get it that:
"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special."
- Stephen Hawking
PS: When the James Web is launched we will be able to start analyzing atmospheres of these planets found by Kepler using spectroscopy. Then we know for sure. Can't wait. We live in exciting times.
Scientist : Ocean Cloud Rain, possible on distant planets,
Since when did this become an issue of religion, you guys are wasting space and my time in reading all your irrelevant rants.
God is all that Exist. Everything is godly. People act like god and devil but the light is within all of us if only you let it shine. Be you... be love. Choose love over fear. Think for yourself you have all the answers within yourself. There is life everywhere. I have actually seen other beings from other planets. The dark is the control system which controls TV, NASA, Government...in return they control us. The system got busted during this past election. Now we are going back. Back home... taking it back... taking government back... freedom back. We are not alone on this planet. Forget all that you know and begin to REMEMBER..... REMEMBER who you truly are. We are all ONE... we are all connected to the planet, nature, animals. Awaken and UNITE. .... It's not just a Revolution it's Evolution. The world is getting better but if you look to the control system they will report the lies ... the dark agenda! Peace & love to all!
HEY! that book is useful for other things too! like beating those religious idiots who come to your door.
On the contrary, the Holy Bilble is intended for all people to learn being responsible for their actions to others, the creation and ultimately to the Author. Individuals, who unfoundedly criticize the Holy Scriptures, possess little or no knowledge of either the Scriptures or its followers. They are just blurting out unintelligible thoughts lost in darkness of arrogance or even hatred for they do not know or want to see how to harmonize themselves with the Universe. They do not see the Hand that feeds them.
Religion has not always been hostile to the idea (or afraid of the possibility) of multiple inhabited worlds. It is true that Giordano Bruno, the first to argue that every star is a sun with its own planetary system, was burned alive in 1600 by the Church of Rome, but when Nicholas of Cusa argued for an infinite universe with multiple worlds some 100 some years earlier, he was rewarded with a Cardinal's hat. Christians have often feared that multiple worlds would detract from or diminish the unique significance of Christ's Incarnation (and the Redemption of this world), but other Christians have welcomed multiple worlds as evidence of God's plenitude. In 1277 the Pope of the day reversed Church doctrine and declared that it was heresy to argue (as some Christians had argued) that God could not create multiple worlds. The point is that there is no necessary connection between this headline and religion. The most imaginative thinkers (theist and atheist) have recognized that the heavens declare glory–whether it is the glory of a personal God is of course another question.
@ A. GARABAS credit where credit is due. The general "good word" of the scriptures are indeed positive. But the concept as a whole is no longer valid to the extent where the divide between people is so big that; I don't know you, you are perhaps on the other side of the world, we have never seen each other yet we are in conflict. As you know this is the world we live in today in 2011. That is the problem I have with religions in general not with the "good intentions" to live life in certain way.
I'll say it again to stay relevant. Cool planet. I hope they do find an atmosphere that will be very exciting.
The Vatican apologized to Galileo around 30 years ago, who never suggested multiple inhabited worlds. Bruno made those suggestions and the Vatican has never apologized to Bruno. Bruno suggested that every star may have its' own world, each with its' own 'God' of creation like the Earth.
I completely agree. I'm in a faith-based system (a protestant christian denomination) that teaches that God is the author of all creation and that he did not create it in vain or to not be inhabited. God undoubtedly made multiple "unfallen" worlds. In fact, our world is the one spot in the universe where sin exists. Our planet is basically in quarantine from the rest of God's perfect creation until the sin problem is eradicated. Ours is a planet in rebellion. Remember the parable Christ told about the shepherd with a 100 sheep. One went astray and Jesus left the 99 to seek and save the 1 that was lost. Our world is that one lost sheep and Christ came seeking through the incarnation to do 2 main things...#1... to reveal the character of God and the principles that govern his universe (love, service, loyalty, humility, faith, obedience, etc..) and #2...to reveal to fallen man the plan of redemption. Ours will one day be a world redeemed. Not only will we be restored but our little world which has been the scene of the fierce conflict will be made new and will be made the throne of the universe as God through Christ makes his home here. Remember Revelation..."I john saw New Jerusalem come down out of heaven...". God's holy city...the place from which he governs the universe will be moved to earth once its made new and after sin has been dealt with. There will one day be no more death, crying, tears or pain for the former things will have passed away and all things will have been made new. Though my denomination is small in the realm of Christian thinking....I'm convinced that God has preserved his truth for those willing to seek it out. As a Seventh-Day Adventist I've learned to simply seek the way of Christ no matter what others think of me. Why do I keep the Sabbath....because Jesus did. Why do I believe in the Old Testament...because Jesus did (many Christians only accept the new but when Christ walked the earth and referred to the scriptures...he only quoted from the old as the new had not been written). Why do I believe that the mark of the beast is __________! Because this is clearly taught in scripture. I left the answer blank because I did not want to be offensive and because it usually takes significant bible study to arrive at the answer. Know this though my friend...that many are concerned about the mark and have many theories about what it is but a key to learning the correct answer is by first figuring out who or what the beast is?!? Hopefully, I've peaked some interest. If you want to awake before the mark is handed out....might I suggest the book..."The Great Controversy" by E.G. White. It will answer all your questions. God-Speed my friend.
But those who believe the sciptures to be both literal and accurate are falling victim to their own near-sightedness. Every word of the bible was a parable, story or tale passed down for years, sometimes thousands of, by word of mouth, before anyone wrote them down. The NT is all second hand as well, none of it actually having been written at the time of Jesus. Stories were changed to suit the teller's wishes, the audience, etc.
The scriptures are good for showing us how people lived a long time ago and how they perceived things, but the word of God? Nope. There are no "Words of God" God doesn't speak using primitive language.
Foolish are they who believe they know God's thoughts, presumptuous are they who think they know God's will and hopeless are those who think they know God's heart.
If you don't abandon religion now and develop a deep one on one relationship with God now, you're going to find He is very disappointed in you when you get to heaven and find all you thought was truth was a lie.