Earth like planet discoveries

HD 85512 b
This year astronomers in Switzerland found a planet, which they call HD 85512 b, that could possibly support life. It's an amazing discovery and tremendously exciting to imagine the very real possibility of this planet having life and what this could mean for us if this is proven true. Here's some info:

• HD 85512 b lies in what is called the 'Goldilocks Zone' or 'Habitable zone'. This zone refers to a the region of a planetary system where the temperature in is not too hot and not to cold to support liquid water - which is needed for life to exist.
• The estimated temperature on the planet ranges from 30 to 50 degrees celcius - suggesting a hot and humid climate.
• HD 85512 b is 3.6 times the mass of Earth and is closer to is star than we are to our sun. It has an orbit of 54 days.
• "If the planet has 50% cloud cover, water may exist in liquid form in the planet provided its atmosphere is similar to our own and the planet would be considered habitable. Also, if the albedo of the planet is increased due to cloud cover in the planet, water could be present in its liquid form in the planet, which would mean that the planet is on the edge of habitability.(wikipedia)"
• And last but not least - HD 85512 b is only 36 light years away from Earth. Awesome.

It would be really interesting to see if there were life so close to home. (Relatively speaking) However, 36 light years is still a phenomenal distance from earth, one which would take us rather a long time to reach (excluding the use of solar sails).

54 days? wow, imagine how fast we would age! LOL

still with solar sails it would take like 60 to 70 years and you would also have to remember that solar wind is not equal everywhere!!!! thats pretty much a life time!!!!

Interesting stuff!!
Hopefully in my life time they will of dicovered actuall living organisms on such planets as this. Fingers crossed for hyper advances in technology, lol.

Just out of curiosity why would a planet with such importance have such a stupid name?

because people discovering is good in discovering but the lack creativity to think up names which doesn't include numbers.

The name must be just a result of classification / mapping of space and spacial objects. Maybe they give it a formal name later - the reason I say this is because star that HD 85512 b orbits is called HD 85512 - but it is also known as Gliese 370. So maybe because HD 85512 b is such a recent finding that they are still referring to with its classification string.