Exoplanets and the Search for Life Beyond Earth by Dr. Sara Seager, MIT

For thousands of years, inspired by the star-filled dark night sky, people have wondered what lies beyond Earth. Today, the search for signs of life is a key factor in modern-day planetary exploration. Astronomers have found thousands of planets that orbit nearby stars, called “exoplanets”. Next-generation telescopes will enable us to study gases on rocky exoplanet atmospheres, including gases that might be attributed life. Closer to home, astronomers have unexpectedly detected phosphine gas on our sister planet Venus, which, now controversial, might possibly indicate the presence of life or may be explained by unusual chemistry. Professor Sara Seager, one of the world’s leading experts on the search for Earth-like planets and life beyond Earth, will share the latest advances in this revolutionary field.