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Gliese 581
Aug. 13th, 2010 05:41 pmGliese 581 is a red M2V dwarf in Libra, just over 20 light years from Sol. Astronomers tell us it has at least four planets orbiting it, one apparently in the habitable zone. As we learn more about Gliese 581, this could be an excellent setting for someone trying to write “hard” SF that takes advantage of the latest astronomical knowledge.
On the other hand, there’s always the risk of new facts making your story obsolete in a hurry, but it was ever thus for the hard-SF writer.
Moreover, it appears to be several billion years old, and we know what that means in terms of life evolving.
More information on this star can be found here: http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8169
ETA: astronomers now (September 30, 2010) say they've found a rocky planet in the star's Goldilocks zone!
On the other hand, there’s always the risk of new facts making your story obsolete in a hurry, but it was ever thus for the hard-SF writer.
Moreover, it appears to be several billion years old, and we know what that means in terms of life evolving.
More information on this star can be found here: http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8169
ETA: astronomers now (September 30, 2010) say they've found a rocky planet in the star's Goldilocks zone!