Gliese 581 e (pronounced /ˈɡliːzə/) or Gl 581 e is the fourth extrasolar planet found around Gliese 581, an M3V red dwarf star approximately 20.5 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Libra.
The planet was discovered by an Observatory of Geneva team lead by Michel Mayor, using the HARPS instrument on the European Southern Observatory 3.6 m (140 in) telescope in La Silla, Chile. The discovery was announced on 21 April 2009. Mayor's t...
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Gliese 581 e (pronounced /ˈɡliːzə/) or Gl 581 e is the fourth extrasolar planet found around Gliese 581, an M3V red dwarf star approximately 20.5 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Libra.
The planet was discovered by an Observatory of Geneva team lead by Michel Mayor, using the HARPS instrument on the European Southern Observatory 3.6 m (140 in) telescope in La Silla, Chile. The discovery was announced on 21 April 2009. Mayor's team employed the radial velocity technique, in which the orbit size and mass of a planet are determined based on the small perturbations it induces in its parent star's orbit via gravity.
At a minimum of 1.9 Earth masses, it is the smallest extrasolar planet discovered around a normal star, and the closest in mass to Earth. At an orbital distance of just 0.03 AU from its parent star, however, it is outside the habitable zone. It is unlikely to possess an atmosphere due to its high temperature and strong radiation from the star. From this...
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