Observations: AstronomyCast Gliese 581

Gliese 581 is a red dwarf star that is located about 20 light years from Earth in the constellation Libra. The mass of this star is estimated to be about one third that of the Sun, and it is the eighty-ninth closest star to the Sun. This red dwarf is particularly interesting because it is one of the most known stars to have a planet that could be hospitable for life. The star has been observed to have six planets in its orbit, two of which may be hospitable for life. Gliese d and Gliese g are the two planets that could be hospitable, with d having the possibility of Earth-like life. However, Gliese g has the greatest likelihood of containing liquid water on its surface. Gliese 581 has been the subject of a huge amount of attention because of these factors. Perhaps these couple of planets surrounding the red dwarf star are the first place to investigate more fully for extraterrestrial life.