Habitable exoplanet CONFIRMED! Warm and wet, scientists say

French scientists have confirmed with computer models that Gliese 581d, a planet orbiting a red dwarf star about 20 light years from here, has a stable atmosphere, comfortable temperatures, and a surface covered in liquid water. It’s the first planet orbiting another star that could definitely support life, and it’s basically next door.

While Gliese 581d is too small and far away to observe directly, we can infer some things about it from the gravitational effects that it has on its parent star and fellow planets. We know that Gliese 581d is about twice the size of Earth (and six times the mass), we know that it’s rocky (not a gas giant like Jupiter or Saturn). This means that it’s large enough and dense enough to be able to hold on to a substantial atmosphere. We can also estimate about how much energy Gliese 581d receives from its red dwarf star, and based on all of this information, French scientists have been able to model a range of potential climates showing that “GJ581d will have a stable atmosphere and surface liquid water for a wide range of plausible cases.”

I demand this planet be designated as Lister.