Gliese 581 Goldilocks Planets May Not Be There!

In 2007, astronomers observing Gilese 581 found four planets of which 2 were in the "Goldilocks" zone.  In 2010 two more planets were added to the toll with planet 581g having the best odds of all of having life. 

However Paul Robertson, the leader of  a new research team, said,  his team found that the measurements used to detect planets could be affected by things like sunspots, leading false indications of  planets.

Robertson, using different spectrum,  have watched indications for some planets fade completely away while others brighten significantly.

Read the complete article HERE

Goldilocks Planet! Just Right!

You have to figure that when Tim and Dan both find this article exciting, you have to pay attention.
Here is what is going on:

Astronomers, first time, have spotted a planet that circles a star called Gliese 581. It's about 120 trillion miles away. This planet is the first to be uncovered that orbits its' primary in the "life" zone. This zone allows for conditions that would support life as we know it. Not too far from its star, not too close. So it could contain liquid water. The planet itself is neither too big nor too small for the proper surface, gravity and atmosphere.

From the Yahoo article:

• (the planet) is about three times the mass of Earth, slightly larger in width and much closer to its star — 14 million miles away versus 93 million. It's so close to its version of the sun that it orbits every 37 days. And it doesn't rotate much, so one side is almost always bright, the other dark. Temperatures can be as hot as 160 degrees or as frigid as 25 degrees below zero, but in between — in the land of constant sunrise — it would be "shirt-sleeve weather..

This is not the first time we have heard of Gliese 581. It seems that six other planets have been found orbiting the star. Very solar indeed huh?

Read complete areticle here Yahoo article:
Wikipedia article on the Goldilocks zone