Most intergalactic stories begin with something like that famous line “In a galaxy far, far away,” continue with aliens either trying to save, destroy or take over planet earth, and end with a hero, whether it be a man, beast or alien, that somehow saves our planet and everyone on it…
Now a recent finding by a team of European astronomers could change the way earthlings use that phrase into something like this: “In a galaxy far, far away, a new planet was found.” But in terms of the universe, this new planet, which orbits a red dwarf star called Gliese 581, isn't all that far away, at 20.5 light years or 120 trillion miles.
At this early stage of discovery the Astronomers who identified the planet, which is called Gliese 581 C, believe that temperatures there are between 32 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit – just right for liquid water to exist and to sustain life. This leaves Astronomers around the world wondering if there really could be life there.
Astronomers have been searching for habitable planets for many years and there was even a rivalry of sorts to see who would make the discovery first. But it wasn't until recently that they started looking at galaxies that had red dwarf stars. These stars don't burn nearly as bright as our sun, so they weren't thought to have life sustaining planets orbiting them.
Who knows how this story will end? Girlawhirl figures that she'll get to see it all unfold as scientists focus their efforts and their telescopes on Gliese 581 C in that galaxy far, far away…
