Gliese 581c

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gliese-581c

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is Gliese 581c?Approximately 6.8 times Earth's mass
2. What is the planet designation?Gliese 581c (GJ 581c)
3. What is the orbital system?Orbits the red dwarf star Gliese 581
4. Why was Gliese 581c exciting when it was first found?Scientists thought it lived in the habitable zone, the Goldilocks zone where liquid water could exist. That made people wonder if it could support life.
5. How close is Gliese 581c to Earth?It is about 20.55 light‑years away, which is relatively close in the galaxy.

Exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star outside of our solar system.
Super-Earth: A class of exoplanets with masses ranging from greater than Earth's up to ten Earth masses.
Habitable Zone: The region around a star where surface temperatures could allow for liquid water to exist on a planet.
Red Dwarf Star: A small, cool, and relatively dim star, representing the most common stellar type in the Milky Way.