This week’s question concerns planetary discovery. Last week, well-known exoplanet researcher Michael Mayor discovered a tiny planet, called Gliese 581 e, whose mass is just 1.9 times the size of earth. The planet was too close to the nearest star to support life, but was near a larger, previously discovered planet, called Gliese 581 d. That planet’s proximity to the nearest star is considered suitable for the existence of water. Some astronomers believe we are closer to discovering planets containing liquid water oceans elsewhere in the universe. What do you think? Do planets with Earth-like atmospheres exist in the universe?
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