Aster › Space program › Gliese 581 d
Gliese 581 d
Position on the route: 128/181 · level needed 1130 · journey (Mk0 engine) 330.1 h
By the numbers
| Distance | ≈ 20.4 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | ≈ 7 Earths (estimate) |
| Year | ≈ 66 days |
| Star | red dwarf |
The story
Gliese 581 is a red dwarf in Libra about 20.4 light-years away. HARPS (ESO) and other surveys found at least three planets around it. Planet d was announced in 2007 and presented as a super-Earth at the edge of the habitable zone.
The system is a lesson in exoplanet science: the later claimed planets g and f may be signals from the star’s own magnetic activity. The values here are catalogue estimates.
Missions
- HARPS (ESO, 2007–): discovery
Colony note
A cold super-Earth; its air is uncertain.
What probes bring back
- A red dwarf 20.4 light-years away with at least three planets and, for a while, six. Planet d was presented as a super-Earth (about 7 Earth masses) at the edge of the habitable zone.
- The system is a lesson in exoplanet science: the claimed planets g and f may be signals from the star’s own activity.