New Rankings List Gliese 581g As the Most Habitable Exoplanet
Behold, by decree, the most habitable exoplanet known to date. Some people think Gliese 581g may not exist, sure, but if it does it's probably nice and Earthy warm. Gliese 581 is one of our favorite exoplanet systems, anchored by a red dwarf star only 20 light years from Earth. Astronomers think it has at least four, maybe five exoplanets, one or maybe two of which is possibly habitable. Gliese 581c is too close to its star, giving it Venus-like boiling temperatures that would prevent liquid water. Gliese 581d may be too far, staying too chilly to support water or life - although models suggest it could have a dense carbon-rich atmosphere to keep it warm. (It's also on this new maybe-habitable exoplanet list.) Related ArticlesInfographic: The New Planetary Habitability IndexQ&A: How to Rate the Habitability of Other PlanetsNew Models Find that Gliese 581d is the First Potentially Habitable ExoplanetTagsScience,...