Browsing teh interwebs and wikipedia i stumbled across the relatively recently discovered moons/planets of Gliese 581 g and Gliese 581c, located about 20.5 light-years (1.94×1014 km) away from earth they represent what some scientists think could the closest planets that have a good chance of supporting life, they lie in the habitable zone of their sun where temperatures allow for water and life the exist, Gliese 581c is actually supposed to have less of a chance because of something about how the scientists didnt correctly factor in possible error in the temperature or something like that. but anyway because of this discovery scientists are now thinking that up to 10% of stars could harbor planets like these that are capable of supporting life as we know it.
artists rendition of Gliese 581c and its solar system |