MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Subject: Article says Gliese 581c is habitable” & “Earth-Like”?!? please verify?

Date: Sat Oct 13 10:38:18 2007
Posted by Gabriel
Grade level: undergrad School: Millennium Library
City: Winnipeg State/Province: Manitoba Country: Canada
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 1192297098.As
Message:

I would like to ask an astronomer to check my math, because contrary to what 
is been published about Gliese 581c being habitable, my calculations tell me 
different.
L=4pi*(R^2)*F),  L=4pi*(d^2)*f,  F=(a*(T^4))
So I then combined the two formulas:
4pi*(R^2)*(a*(T^4)) = 4pi*(d^2)*f
Then I algebraically rearranged then.
R=[((d^2)*f)/(a*(T^4))]^(1/2),  F=[((d^2)*f)/R^2]   d=[(R^2)*(a*(T^4))/f ]^
(1/2),  f =[(R^2)*(a*(T^4))/d^2 ],  T=[[((d^2)*f)/R^2]/a]^(1/4)
I read this article just today stating the extra solar planet Gliese 581c is 
an “Earth-like planet that could be covered in oceans and may support life…”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?
in_article_id=450467&in_page_id=1965
http://exoplanet.eu/catalog-all.php
I calculated that the Earth received an average of 1369.88 W/m^2 in heat 
energy, and that this new planet, Gliese 581c, receives an average of 1502.53 
W/m^2. That’s pretty close, 106%, but that’s where the similarity in my 
calculations ends. Earth’s eccentricity is 0.0167, where as the eccentricity 
of Gliese 581c is 0.27, and that is 1616.77% greater! Whereas the Earth has a 
flux range of 1416.814 W/m^2 to 1325.255 W/m^2 because of its eccentricity 
(91.56 W/m^2 difference), Gliese 581c has a range that is 2819.535 W/m^2 to 
931.571 W/m^2, an enormous 1887.965 W/m^2 variation from perihelion to 
aphelion. scientists place the pre-greenhouse gas effect temperature (+33 
Celsius) of the Earth at –19 Celsius, and using a simple percentage 
relationship comparison (I was told it’s linear but that would put the Gliese 
581c low well below zero Kelvin), then more realistic temperatures on this 
planet would be something like (205.8% Earth’s Kelvin perihelion max.) 336.39 
Celsius maximum and a (68.0% Earth’s Kelvin aphelion min.) –170.77 Celsius 
minimum. 
This glaring makes me finally need to have my calculations checked.
Sincerely,
Gabriel




Re: Article says Gliese 581c is habitable” & “Earth-Like”?!? please verify?

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