Exoplanets and the "Goldilocks zone"

Over Christmas I received an email from one of my students (Alejandro Mir 4º ESO Blue) with a very short piece about a planet GLIESE 581 which had liquid water and could possibly be habitable. I include Alejandro's screen shot of his phone with the relevant information...thanks Alejandro;

So this led me on to thinking about two things: the ongoing search for exoplanets (for which at the moment we have found 4,624 with 1,022 confirmed) and the "Goldilocks zone"

Both of these you can read about through the attached links but beyond that what is this telling us?

Well for one, Science is happening on a daily basis and everyday a new exoplanet is being discovered; but also why are we looking for these planets? Are we looking for other life forms? Life forms like ourselves? More advanced life forms from whom we can learn or be conquered? Or are we looking for a place to escape to when this habitable planet of ours is no longer habitable due to human or natural causes?!!

Maybe as well as looking to the sky we should look to our planet and lifeforms and see what we can all do to help preserve and nurture what we already have!!

Isn't it mad how one article can provoke so many other ideas?! Still the search for exoplanets is exciting and I look forward to more news in this field....Alejandro?