Is life on other planets possible? Scientists have debated this questions for years now, but we may finally be closer than ever to the truth. Astronomers recently discovered a planet that fulfills the "Goldilocks" requirements (aka the "just right" environment) that sustains life on Earth.
The newly discovered planet (located 120 trillion miles away in the constellation Libra) displays the similar habitable environments as our own planet. Chances are that liquid water may also be present, and as our own history shows, where there is liquid water, there is life. The planet currently holds the name Gliese 581g because it is the sixth planet orbiting the dwarf star Gliese 581 (given the letter "a") and is about three times the size of Earth. 581g orbits Gliese 581 once every 37 days and does not seem to orbit much, indicating that there may be widely varying landscapes across the planet ranging from -25 degress to 160 degrees.
The presence of water on 581g has not been confirmed, but reaching the faraway (yet cosmically close) planet would take a few generations of human life. Interestingly, according to the researchers, if you were to stand on the 581g, you would be able to see our Sun without the aid of telescopes. Where conditions for life are met, life follows eventually. Even if it is not an advanced life form, maybe we are not alone in this universe after all...
The newly discovered planet (located 120 trillion miles away in the constellation Libra) displays the similar habitable environments as our own planet. Chances are that liquid water may also be present, and as our own history shows, where there is liquid water, there is life. The planet currently holds the name Gliese 581g because it is the sixth planet orbiting the dwarf star Gliese 581 (given the letter "a") and is about three times the size of Earth. 581g orbits Gliese 581 once every 37 days and does not seem to orbit much, indicating that there may be widely varying landscapes across the planet ranging from -25 degress to 160 degrees.
The presence of water on 581g has not been confirmed, but reaching the faraway (yet cosmically close) planet would take a few generations of human life. Interestingly, according to the researchers, if you were to stand on the 581g, you would be able to see our Sun without the aid of telescopes. Where conditions for life are met, life follows eventually. Even if it is not an advanced life form, maybe we are not alone in this universe after all...