First Earth-Like Exoplanet Found!!!

Artist's Impression of Gliese 581 System

This has to be one of the most exciting things I've heard in years. Astronomers in Chile have found the first ever Earth-Like Exoplanet! This is the first time we have evidence for our hopes that our Earth is not the only habitable planet.
The planet, Gliese 581 C, goes around an M dwarf (see diagram in previous post for classification clarification) star at a very tight radius with a year of only 13 Earth days. It is 50% bigger than the Earth and is five times heavier. The system is 20 light years away.


Gliese 581, the M dwarf around which the planet orbits

This is exciting because it is the first planet we have ever seen (besides Earth) that can support liquid water. The temperatures are a bit higher than here on Earth but not too different (between 0-40 degrees Celsius). This is assuming an Earth-like atmosphere, which may not be the case. The proposition is that this world is either a rocky planet or one that is completely dominated by water and oceans.
This is exactly the kind of planet SETI expects to find intelligent life on. After two sweeps a couple of years ago they didn't find anything but I'm sure they will be looking again, this time much more carefully. I'll be stepping up my SETI@Home dedication in the mean time. Even if it's not occupied, then it may be our home far in the future, when we've finished pillaging the Earth.