Searching for the chemistry of life on exoplanets

Illustration of close planetary neighbours

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The protoplanetary discs that surround young stars and give birth to planets are chemical labs that can reveal which planets might host life

New telescopes are helping to develop a deeper understanding of the chemical processes at the heart of planet formation. This in turn is helping in the search for planets which support a complex range of chemistries and, as a result, might just host life. Stars form when an interstellar cloud collapses into a protostar, and then protoplanetary discs – made of gas and dust – begin to form around the protostar. These discs are the birthplace of planets.