A planet in the habitable zone

By refining the orbit of the planet Gliese 581 d, first discovered in 2007, a team of astronomers has shown that it lies well within the habitable zone, where liquid water oceans could exist. This diagram shows the distances of the planets in the Solar System (upper row) and in the Gliese 581 system (lower row), from their respective stars (left). The habitable zone is indicated as the blue area, showing that Gliese 581 d is located inside the habitable zone around its low-mass red star.
Based on a diagram by Franck Selsis, Univ. of Bordeaux.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso0915b
Type:Chart
Release date:21 April 2009
Related releases:eso0915
Size:2500 x 1704 px

About the Object

Name:Gliese 581
Type:Milky Way : Star : Circumstellar Material : Planetary System
Distance:20 light years
Category:Exoplanets
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