 Scientists have monitored only a relatively small number of stars in the search for exoplanets . The discovery of a potentially habitable planet like Gliese 581 g so early in the search might mean that habitable planets are more widely distributed than had been previously believed . According to Vogt , the discovery " implies an interesting lower limit on the fraction of stars that have at least one potentially habitable planet as there are only ~ 116 known solar @-@ type or later stars out to the 6 @.@ 3 parsec distance of Gliese 581 " . This finding foreshadows what Vogt calls a new , second Age of Discovery in <unk> : 
