What it’s like to stand here
GJ 581 e
weight
1.30 g
sun
10.8× wider
sky
deep orange

Illustration computed from this world’s measured and derived values, not a photograph.

Rocky world

GJ 581 e

GJ 581 e is a confirmed rocky exoplanet 20.5 ly from Earth in the constellation Libra, discovered in 2009 by La Silla Observatory.

Radial Velocity: spotted by the gravitational wobble the planet tugs in its star.

GJ 581
host star
1.38 R⊕
radius
2.48 M⊕
mass · measured
3.1 days
orbital period
281°C (538°F)
avg temp
Human scale

Standing on GJ 581 e, you would weigh about 30% more than you do on Earth. Its red dwarf looks 10.8× wider than ours, bathing the surface in deep orange light. It is likely tidally locked, so that sun never moves in the sky: one hemisphere in endless day, the other in permanent night. A year passes in just 3.1 days, and at an estimated 281°C (538°F) it is blistering.

1.30 g
your weight (measured mass)
3.1 days
one year, in Earth time
10.8× wider
how big its sun looks vs ours
deep orange
midday sky tint
0.8×
how high you could jump vs Earth
likely
likely tidally locked: probably eternal day on one side, night on the other
Calculate your exact weight on GJ 581 e
Earth Similarity Index0.49#614 of 5,788 ranked worlds

How closely this world matches Earth in size and warmth, from 0 to 1 (Earth = 1.0). Computed by gravityfinder. See every world ranked →

What these mean: surface gravity · tidal locking · equilibrium temperature · Earth similarity

If your children grew up herea playful thought experiment
EARTH HEIGHT≈ 0.95xEARTH-RAISEDRAISED HERE
about 0.95x as tall as on Earth · a 5 ft 10 in adult could stand nearer 5 ft 6 in

A little heavier than home, at 1.3 times Earth's gravity. A child raised here would likely grow a little shorter and sturdier than their Earth-raised parents, about 0.95x as tall as on Earth: a 5 ft 10 in adult could stand nearer 5 ft 6 in, with denser bones.

Bones
Thick and dense
More weight to bear forces the skeleton to grow denser and stronger all through childhood.

A playful thought experiment from this world’s gravity, not a prediction about any real person. No human has ever grown up off Earth, so no one truly knows; the direction (taller in low gravity, shorter and stockier in high) follows how growing bodies respond to weight.

Hear how a voice sounds herea computed acoustic demo

Your voice would sound high and thin, almost cartoonish.

Assuming Earth-like air at this world's temperature of about 281°C (538°F), sound would travel roughly 39% faster than on Earth, so your voice would sound high and thin, almost cartoonish. The real atmosphere is unknown, so this is a best guess.

sound speed ≈ 472 m/s · 1.39× Earth · assumes Earth-like air

A real voice sample, pitch-shifted (tempo held constant) to suggest the acoustics: a playful approximation, not a precise simulation. Voice: Lingua Libre / Vealhurl, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The journey
Cosmic travel advisory
★★★☆☆
For seasoned travelers
  • !Blistering at about 281°C (538°F), far too hot for liquid water on the surface.
  • Surface gravity is close to Earth's, 1.30 times, so you would move much as you do here.
  • !Likely tidally locked: one hemisphere in endless day, the other in permanent night.

A playful read of GJ 581 e’s measured and computed values, not a real advisory.

How long to get there · 20.5 ly away
Jet airliner
24.6 million years
dies en route1000-yr cryo: fails
Parker Solar Probethe fastest craft ever built
32,037 years
dies en route1000-yr cryo: fails
Light speed
21 years
arrives middle-aged
Warp 10
7 days
arrives thriving
Folding spacetimeinstant, plus 1 hr of paperwork
1 hour
arrives thriving
Size vs Earth
EarthGJ 581 e is 1.4× the width of Earth
Explore from here · roam the neighborhood

Zoom out: star → system → (soon) galaxy arm, host black hole, and a real image of the host galaxy.

Can you see it tonight? · observe
SMALL TELESCOPE NEEDED
Host-star brightnessmag 10.6
ConstellationLibra
To see the host star4-6" (100-150 mm) telescope
Gear bridge

Matched telescope & eyepiece recommendations are coming. Any product links will carry a clear affiliate disclosure.

Common questions

What is the gravity on GJ 581 e?

GJ 581 e's surface gravity is about 1.3 times Earth's.

How much would you weigh on GJ 581 e?

Someone who weighs 150 pounds on Earth would weigh about 195 pounds on GJ 581 e.

How far is GJ 581 e from Earth?

GJ 581 e lies about 20.5 light-years from Earth.

How long would it take to get to GJ 581 e?

At the speed of NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the fastest craft ever built, the journey would take about 32,037 years.

How hot is GJ 581 e?

GJ 581 e's equilibrium temperature, the balance it reaches from its star's light alone before any greenhouse warming, is about 281°C (538°F).

How long is a year on GJ 581 e?

GJ 581 e completes one orbit of its star in 3.1 days.

Illustration generated from GJ 581 e's confirmed parameters, not a photograph.