Gliese 581 e
| Extrasolar planet | List of extrasolar planets | |
|---|---|---|
 (Based on selected hypothetical modeled compositions) |
||
| Parent star | ||
| Star | Gliese 581 | |
| Constellation | Libra | |
| Right ascension | (α) | 15h 19m 26s |
| Declination | (δ) | −07° 43′ 20″ |
| Apparent magnitude | (mV) | 10.55 |
| Distance | 20.3 ± 0.3 ly (6.2 ± 0.1 pc) |
|
| Spectral type | M3V | |
| Mass | (m) | 0.31 M☉ |
| Radius | (r) | 0.29 R☉ |
| Temperature | (T) | 3480 ± 48 K |
| Metallicity | [Fe/H] | -0.33 ± 0.12 |
| Age | 7 – 11 Gyr | |
| Orbital elements Epoch JD 2451409.762[1] |
||
| Semimajor axis | (a) | 0.0284533 ± 0.0000023[1] AU |
| Eccentricity | (e) | 0[1] |
| Orbital period | (P) | 3.14867 ± 0.00039[1] d (0.0086 y) |
| (75.57 h) | ||
| Mean anomaly | (M) | 267 ± 40[1]° |
| Semi-amplitude | (K) | 1.66 ± 0.19[1] m/s |
| Physical characteristics | ||
| Minimum mass | (m sin i) | 1.7 ± 0.2[1] M⊕ |
| Discovery information | ||
| Discovery date | 21 April 2009 | |
| Discoverer(s) | Mayor et al. | |
| Detection method | Radial velocity | |
| Discovery site | La Silla Observatory, Chile | |
| Discovery status | Published[2] | |
| Database references | ||
| Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia |
data | |
| SIMBAD | data | |
Gliese 581 e (
/ˈɡliːzə/) or Gl 581 e is an extrasolar planet found around Gliese 581, an M3V red dwarf star approximately 20.5 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Libra. It is the fourth planet discovered in the system and the first in order from the star.
The planet was discovered by an Observatory of Geneva team led by Michel Mayor, using the HARPS instrument on the European Southern Observatory 3.6 m (140 in) telescope in La Silla, Chile. The discovery was announced on 21 April 2009. Mayor's team employed the radial velocity technique, in which the orbit size and mass of a planet are determined based on the small perturbations it induces in its parent star's orbit via gravity.[2]
At a minimum mass of 1.7 Earth masses,[1] it is one of the least-massive extrasolar planet discovered around a normal star, and thus the closest in mass to Earth. At an orbital distance of just 0.03 AU from its parent star, however, it orbits further in than the habitable zone. It is unlikely to possess an atmosphere due to its high temperature and strong radiation from the star. Although scientists think it probably has a rocky surface similar to Earth, it is also likely to experience intense tidal heating similar to (and likely more intense than) that affecting Jupiter's moon Io.[3] Gliese 581 e completes an orbit of its sun in approximately 3.15 days.[2][4][5]
[edit] See also
- PSR B1257+12 A — a much smaller pulsar planet.
- Habitability of red dwarf systems
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Vogt, S. S.; et al. (2010). "The Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey: A 3.1 M_Earth Planet in the Habitable Zone of the Nearby M3V Star Gliese 581". arXiv:1009.5733 [astro-ph.EP].
- ^ a b c Mayor, M.; Bonfils, X.; Forveille, T.; Delfosse, X.; Udry, S.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Beust, H.; Bouchy, F. et al (2009). "The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets, XVIII. An Earth-mass planet in the GJ 581 planetary system". Astronomy and Astrophysics 507 (1): 487–494. Bibcode 2009A&A...507..487M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200912172.
- ^ Barnes, Rory; Jackson, Brian; Greenberg, Richard; Raymond, Sean N. (2009-06-09). "Tidal Limits to Planetary Habitability". The Astrophysical Journal 700: L30–L33. arXiv:0906.1785v1. Bibcode 2009ApJ...700L..30B. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/700/1/L30.
- ^ Rincon, Paul; Amos, Jonathan (2009-04-21). "Lightest exoplanet is discovered". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8008683.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- ^ Overbye, Dennis (April 21, 2009). "Astronomers Find Planet Closer to Size of Earth". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/science/22planet.html.
[edit] External links
Media related to Gliese 581 e at Wikimedia Commons
News related to Discovery of smallest exoplanet yields 'extraordinary' find at Wikinews- Lightest exoplanet yet discovered European Southern Observatory press release
- Scientists discover a nearly Earth-sized planet
- Publications at Exoplanet.eu
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
