Exoplanets

Search for Alien Life Should Be a Fundamental Part of NASA, New Report Urges

A blue-ribbon committee finds the science of astrobiology is worthy of deep integration into the space agency’s exploration efforts.

Scientific American

NASA Hosts Conference All About Looking for Signs of Civilization Beyond Earth

Adam Frank on the NASA Technosignatures Workshop.

All Things Considered, NPR

Are We Alone? Tiny Spacecraft Will Head to Alpha Centauri to Find Out

Breakthrough Starshot seeks to discover whether there’s life on the planets orbiting our nearest star neighbors.

CNET

This Rocky Exoplanet Is the Most Likely to Support Life

Of the thousands of known exoplanets, Kepler-452b has the most ideal combination of UV light exposure and conditions for liquid water.

Seeker

Are We Alone?

The hunt for clues in the universe to answer one of humanity’s biggest questions.

NOVA

Is Humanity Unusual In The Cosmos?

Adam Frank talks with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb about exo-civilizations, techno-signatures, and the search for alien life — living or long-gone.

13.7: Cosmos & Culture

More Than a Trillion Planets Could Exist Beyond Our Galaxy

A new study gives the first evidence that exoplanets exist beyond the Milky Way.

National Geographic

Exoplanet Science 2.0

The study of life on and off Earth needs unified funding and a coherent plan, say Caleb Scharf, Debra Fischer, and Victoria Meadows.

Nature

Found: Another Star System With Eight Planets, Just Like Ours

Only a handful of star systems have more than a single planet. With eight worlds, our solar system has long taken the prize for the biggest lineup. But no longer.

The Washington Post

Exoplanet Hunters Rethink Search for Alien Life

Astronomers expand ideas of how chemistry and geology could affect chances for life on other worlds.

Nature

A Nearby Earth-Size Planet May Have Conditions for Life

Astronomers have found a planet circling Ross 128, a quiet red star in our own galactic neighborhood.

The New York Times

Nearby Exoplanets Invigorate the Search for E.T.

SETI pioneer Jill Tarter and Berkeley researcher Dan Werthimer talk about how the discovery of nearby exoplanets is inspiring new efforts to gain info about these galactic neighbors.

60-Second Science, Scientific American

Nearby Earth-Size Exoplanets May Have Water

Data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope suggests some of TRAPPIST-1’s worlds could be habitable.

Scientific American